Best Laid Plans

by Abbie Zanders

  When she got to the ranch, Tori must have been waiting for her because she swung the door open before Sandy was even halfway to the porch.

  “Don’t bother taking your coat off. We’re heading over to the Sanctuary.”

  “Why?”

  “Because we’re celebrating.”

  “Celebrating what?”

  “Their soft opening. Plus, Sam and Steve got engaged!”

  Sandy had mixed feelings about going to the Sanctuary. On the one hand, she was excited to see and congratulate Sam as well as check out the progress they’d made on the place. On the other hand, Heff would probably be there, and she didn’t know how she was going to handle that.

  She hadn’t seen or spoken to him since she left. She thought about him every hour of every day though. Wondered what he was doing. If he thought about her. If he’d moved on.

  If he had, she did not want to know about it.

  She certainly hadn’t. Even if she had somehow found the time, she’d had absolutely no inclination to even consider it. She missed him terribly. Missed his smile and his humor, the way he could make her heart and body melt with just a glance.

  She bit her lip. “Are you sure it’s okay? Maybe I should just come back another time when things aren’t so hectic.”

  “Of course it’s okay! When I told Sam you were coming by, she made me promise to bring you. Everyone’s excited to see you.”

  Sandy wondered if “everyone” included Heff.

  Tori shepherded her toward a Wrangler, insisting they drive over together. Sandy was amazed at the progress they’d made over the past three months. The area in front was leveled and landscaped, the steps redone and the half-walls complete. Electric carriage lights lit the circular drive and parking area, and festive wreaths had been hung at the entrance doors.

  Sandy took a deep breath as they entered. She was met immediately with a blast of warmth and mouthwatering aromas.

  “Sandy, you made it!” Sam gushed. “Here, let me take your coats.”

  “I hear congratulations are in order.”

  “Yes!” Sam beamed, holding out her hand to show them the sparkling diamond on her finger. “Can you believe it?”

  “Have you set a date?”

  “Not yet. We’ll probably just do something small and simple though. Neither one of us has any family.”

  “Now, I’m insulted,” Doc said, walking by with a case of champagne.

  Sandy was glad to see him moving so well. Last time she’d seen him, he’d been limping.

  “You’re absolutely right.” Sam grinned, her eyes twinkling. “My apologies.”

  “Apology accepted. Hey, Sandy.”

  “Hi, Doc.”

  “How’s the big city? You kicking ass and taking names?”

  “Sure am,” she lied.

  “Awesome. Sam, we got any more of those puff thingies?”

  “I just brought out two trays!”

  “Yeah, but Mad Dog’s not letting anyone near them.”

  Sam rolled her eyes. “Right. I’m on it.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Need some help?” Sandy asked hopefully. Helping Sam would provide an excellent excuse not to join the crowd just yet.

  “I’d love some,” Sam said, relieved. “You’d think after living here for months, I’d know better.”

  “I’ll help too,” Tori said. “Just let me tell Brian we’re here, so he doesn’t worry, and I’ll meet you in the kitchen.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Sam told her. “Go calm your man. We’ve got this.”

  Tori grinned. “Thanks.”

  Tori moved toward the room where the music and voices were coming from while Sandy followed Sam to the kitchen.

  “Brian worries, huh?”

  “Oh, yeah. He’s definitely the protective type where Tori’s concerned. Just like Steve. I resisted at first, but it’s kind of nice, having someone who cares that much, you know? And honestly, I’m the same way about him, so it’s all good.”

  Sandy felt a pang in her chest, the same one she felt every time she thought about Heff. She wondered vaguely if he was caring for anyone these days. Hopefully, Tori would have given her a heads-up if that were the case.

  They entered the kitchen, a display of gleaming stainless steel and commercial appliances.

  “Wow! This place looks great!”

  “It does, doesn’t it?” Sam grinned. “Matt spared no expense. He totally agrees with my theory that the heart of any home is the kitchen, and we want this place to be a real home even if it’s only a temporary one for most of the people who’ll come here.”

  Sandy helped her fill several trays. “This is an awful lot of food. Did you do all this yourself?”

  “Oh, hell no. I can run the kitchen, and I’m pretty good with baked goods, but I know my limits. We hired a day staff to do all this.”

  Sandy hefted two big trays and started out the doors.

  “I forgot you worked at Franco’s,” Sam commented, picking up a third. “You make it look so easy.”

  “Lots of practice.” She grinned.

  They carried the food into the grand hall to the joyful cheers of those gathered there. Long banquet tables draped in white linens and gold trim had been set up, laden with several dozen chafing dishes. The place had been decorated for the holidays with pine wreaths, garland, and plenty of twinkling lights. An eclectic mix of holiday music played in the background. As beautiful as it was, the focal point was a massive evergreen dominating the far corner of the room, decked out with red, white, and blue ornaments.

  There were maybe a dozen or so people milling around. Many of them she recognized as the same guys who’d been at the summer barbecue, mentally recalling names and nicknames—Matt “Church,” Steve “Smoke,” Brian “Mad Dog,” Nick “Cage,” and Cole “Doc.” Brian was there, too, along with two or three others she hadn’t seen before. She wondered if those were the new guys.

  The only one she didn’t see was Heff.

  “Sandy! So glad you could make it,” Matt said.

  “Thanks. Everything looks amazing.”

  He nodded. “Things are really coming together.”

  “Better grab something before Mad Dog realizes we restocked,” Sam suggested. “That man can eat.”

  “That’s good advice,” Matt said with a wink, heading toward the buffet table. “As a matter of fact, I’m going to heed it myself.”

  Sandy laughed, remembering how well he could put food away at the restaurant. They loaded up their plates and sat down at a table in the corner. Tori joined them soon after.

  They asked about New York and her job. Sandy kept things vague and general, opting not to say anything about the permanent position just yet. The official offer had come through right before she left, and she had yet to make a decision. She still had a week to think about it, so that was what she was going to do. Think about it. Weigh the pros and cons.

  And maybe, just maybe, she was hoping this visit would help her to see things more clearly.

  She said none of that, however, and steered the conversation back to them.

  Sam proudly showed off her ring and recounted the story of how Steve had proposed.

  “The ranch is doing very well,” Tori told her.

  They had acquired two more therapy horses and were operating at a nearly full schedule. The biggest news was, Bianca had found a house just outside of Sumneyville, and she and Kevin were planning on moving after the holidays.

  Sandy asked about Danny and learned that he was doing well and was very excited that he’d been seeing Kevin again. Tori explained that he was spending the night with some of his friends down in Pine Ridge.

  Their company was nice. The conversation, pleasant. But throughout it all, Sandy couldn’t help sweeping the crowd, looking for Heff.

  She sensed him before she saw him, a weird kind of awareness that defied explanation. She looked across the room and found him talking to Church, but his eyes were on her.

&n
bsp; Chapter Forty-Nine

  Heff

  “Glad you made it,” Church greeted, placing his big paw on Heff’s shoulder.

  Heff grunted. He didn’t want to be there. He’d been perfectly content in his cabin, making use of the newly installed Wi-Fi to stream shows on topics he didn’t give a shit about in between walks around the perimeter.

  Things had been quiet since the incident several weeks back, but none of them believed the situation had magically resolved itself. There was still a lot of bad blood swirling just beneath the surface even if Freed and his cronies were playing nice for the time being.

  Besides, he liked those solitary walks in the woods. It gave him time to think. To reflect. To figure out what he was going to do when the Sanctuary and Happy Trails were fully operational and he was no longer needed.

  For now though, his immediate plan was to make an appearance at the party, play happy for a little while, and then return to his solitude with a six-pack and a plate of food.

  Resigned to slap a smile on his face and do his part, he scanned the room. Mad Dog was hanging around the buffet table—no surprise there. Cage and Doc were talking to the new guys. Brian and Smoke were hovering over by the tree, talking but also casting glances toward the table where Tori and Sam were talking to Sandy.

  He blinked twice, just to be sure he wasn’t seeing things. Yes, it really was Sandy sitting there with Sam and Tori. He now understood that Sam’s text to get his butt over to the party before they came and got him wasn’t just about getting him out of his cabin.

  As if she sensed his gaze, Sam looked over and smiled triumphantly before returning her attention to the conversation.

  His breath caught. Sandy’s head was slightly bowed, the lights shining on her glossy hair as it fell in a cascade of loose waves over the side of her face. She tucked her hair behind her ear in that tell she had—the same gesture she made whenever she was feeling just a little unsure—and smiled at something one of them had said to her.

  She was every bit as beautiful as she’d been the last time he saw her, if not more so. And just like last time, he felt it deep in his chest.

  “Why don’t you go talk to her?” Church suggested.

  He wanted to. He wanted to do that and so much more. The thing was, he wasn’t sure it was such a good idea. She’d made her choice, first by leaving and then by three months of nothing. No calls, no texts. Nothing. He also knew from Tori that she’d been in town in October and made zero effort to contact him.

  It was a clear message that she didn’t want to see, talk, or communicate with him and one he had to respect.

  “Yeah, maybe I will. Later.”

  Church chuckled. “You should tell her, you know.”

  “Tell her what?”

  “That you’re in love with her.”

  Heff pulled his gaze away from Sandy and looked back to his old friend. “You used to be able to hold your liquor better, old man.”

  “And you aren’t half as good at hiding the truth as you think you are.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Church exhaled slowly, a clear sign he was summoning his patience. “There are only two reasons why you’d let her go in the first place,” Church pressed, holding up his fingers. “One, because you don’t care enough, or two, because you care too much. I see the way you look at her, man. It sure as hell isn’t the first one.”

  Heff didn’t bother denying it. He’d accepted the truth a long time ago, though he’d thought he’d done a better job of hiding it. He did love Sandy, which was why he wanted her to be happy. Why he’d had to let her go.

  “She’s finally getting a chance to live her dream, man. I’m not going to do anything to change that. It’s what she wants.”

  “Are you sure about that?” Church asked.

  Given the fact that she was in New York, working for some big-shot firm, while he stayed back in Sumneyville, trying to convince himself he was doing the right thing ... yeah, he was pretty sure.

  “Yeah. Why?”

  Church smirked. “Because I overheard Sam and Tori scheming to get her here tonight, saying that she’s just as miserable as you are.”

  “Eavesdropping now?”

  Church shrugged. “Sometimes, you have to listen to the chatter to get the inside intel.”

  Heff snorted.

  “Plus, she hasn’t stopped looking for you since she got here.”

  Heff tried to ignore the spark of hope Church’s words ignited. Maybe she just wanted to say hi. Or maybe she was looking for another hook-up while she was in town. That did seem to be the only thing she was interested in.

  The thing was, if that was what she wanted, he’d give it to her. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to let her walk away again afterward though—at least, not without telling her how he felt.

  “Aren’t you the one who told me to stay away from her?” Heff reminded him.

  “That was before you started moping around like a lovesick puppy.”

  “You do remember that I’m a sniper, right? I can take you out anytime. You’d never see it coming.”

  Church grinned. “You could, but you won’t. All I’m saying is, you’ve changed since you met her. Maybe you shouldn’t be so willing to walk away from that. Just think about it, okay?”

  Heff nodded, and Church moved over to talk to someone else. Church meant well, but it wasn’t that simple. Sandy was special, but the timing sucked. If he did anything to interfere with her plans, it would come back to bite him in the ass. Eventually, she’d wind up resenting him and the loss of her dream.

  No, the ball was in her court, and she had full and total control. His role was to sit quietly on the sidelines and let her play the game. If she chose Team Hugh, then he would be all in. If not, well then, he’d have to deal with it.

  When he looked back to the table again, Sandy wasn’t sitting there.

  He scanned the room and came up empty, hating the heaviness that returned with a vengeance and settled in his chest at the first thought that came into his head. She ghosted without even saying hello.

  Maybe it was for the best.

  Suddenly, the room felt suffocating, the bright lights and Christmas music grating on his nerves. With a heavy sigh, he turned around to go back outside ... and looked down into a pair of big brown eyes. Her scent, clean and fresh, wrapped around him, instantly transporting his thoughts back to her warm, naked body tucked tightly against his. Just that quickly, a calmness settled over him at the same time blood sang through his veins.

  “Trying to escape without saying hi?” she asked, echoing his most recent thoughts.

  “No, nothing like that.” Yes, it was exactly like that. “Just going for some fresh air.”

  She looked doubtfully at the jacket he had yet to remove. “I was just thinking I could use some fresh air. Mind if I join you?”

  Yes. No. Maybe. What he ended up saying was, “Not at all.”

  He opened the door and gestured for her to go out ahead of him. The night air was cold, but it felt good. He shoved his hands down into his pockets to keep from touching her.

  He looked out over the expanse of lawn, now covered in a blanket of white. High above, clouds skittered across the sky. Moonlight shone down in the breaks, changing the hues from soft gray to glowing silver.

  She stood beside him, her breath forming visible puffs in the frigid stillness. “I missed this.”

  Unsure of exactly what she had missed and afraid to ask, he asked instead, “So ... how have you been?”

  “Do you want the truth or what I’ve been telling everyone else?”

  He looked down at her. She, too, was looking out at the snow. Unlike when she’d been talking with Tori and Sam, her expression was pensive. There was a weariness to her eyes, one that suggested that maybe Church was right, and things weren’t going as well as she wanted people to believe.

  “The truth. Always.”

  “It isn’t what I thought it would be,” s
he said quietly.

  Heff once again pushed back the spark of hope. “How so?”

  She smiled. “Buy me a cup of coffee, and I’ll tell you.”

  “I’ve got a better idea. How about we raid Sam’s private stash and go someplace where we can talk in private?”

  “You’re on.”

  He took off his jacket and handed it to her. “Here, put this on. I’ll be right back.”

  She wrapped herself in his jacket, closing her eyes as she nuzzled her face into it. He tried not to think about that as he made his way through the ballroom and into the kitchen.

  He was searching the pantry when Sam said, “Looking for this?”

  He turned to find her holding out a bag of her special coffee blend. She refused to tell anyone what was in it and guarded it like a national secret.

  “We’re just going to talk. Over coffee,” he told her.

  She smirked. “Sure you are. Because it’s the conversations you miss most about having her around.”

  He took the bag she held out to him. “Thanks, Sam. You’re the best.”

  “Hey, Heff?” she called as he was on his way out the door.

  “Yeah?”

  “I’m rooting for you.”

  “Thanks.”

  He hurried back to the deck, relieved when he found Sandy exactly where he’d left her. Admittedly, he’d been afraid she might have changed her mind. The possibility had crossed his mind too.

  “Got it,” he said, waving the bag. “Ready?”

  Chapter Fifty

  Sandy

  She saw him coming toward her, waving that bag of coffee in his hand, and it was as if her body came to life again.

  Right along with her heart.

  He looked even better than she remembered. His long hair was pulled back. The thermal hugged his chest and arms. When their eyes met, it was just like in the movies. The sounds of the inside celebration faded until all she could hear was the thundering of her heart.

  He smiled and reached out. She didn’t think twice about placing her hand in his as he led her away from the main building.