I’m surprised when Aaron’s truck becomes visible. He hops out and runs over. “You scared the shit out of us, brother. What happened?”
“Let me get Amber into the truck and I’ll tell you.” I carry her over and put her in the back, then I send Zac, a ranch hand, to retrieve her bag.
I tell Aaron about the engine failure, then ask, “How did you know?”
“Ken called me. I had him check on Amber’s flight, and when he said she never got on, I knew something was wrong. He was putting together a search party, but I wasn’t about to wait. We’ve got ten trucks out looking for you.”
“Aren’t you supposed to be at home with your wife?”
“Got back from the hotel this afternoon. I wasn’t going to sit this one out.”
I pat him on the back. “Thanks. As soon as I have a signal, I’ll call the authorities. They’ll want to interview me and do an investigation, then we need to get the chopper fixed as soon as possible.”
He uses a flashlight to survey the helicopter. “Doesn’t look worse for wear. You really landed her without power?”
“Damn right I did.”
He nods to his truck. “Is she going to be okay?”
“She needs to get to the hospital for an x-ray. Jammed her leg against the frame when we landed. She’s one tough lady. Took it all like a trooper.”
He steps back and studies me by flashlight. “You fucked my cousin, didn’t you?”
“Not today. Well, maybe today, if you count early this morning.”
“Jesus. Have you no boundaries?”
“Cleared it with Maddox, so if you have an issue, take it up with him. But for now, can we please get her some medical attention?”
More headlights come our way. Men jump out of a truck and run over. “Holy shit,” one says. “I’m Nathan Glover, ranch manager. Is everyone okay?”
“Yeah.”
“Unbelievable.”
“Hey, don’t touch the chopper. The NTSB investigates all aviation incidents. They’ll come out to look at her, and then we’ll have her moved to the repair facility.”
“You got it. I’ll rope it off.”
“Thanks.”
“How in the hell did you miss hitting anything?”
I glimpse over my shoulder to see if Amber is listening. “Pure dumb luck,” I say.
“And a hell of a lot of skill,” Aaron adds.
I go to get in the truck, then turn. “Hey, Nathan? Think you can talk Butch into putting a cell tower out here? We could have been in one hell of a pickle if things went south.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thanks, man.”
I hop into the truck. “You know where the closest urgent care is?”
“Shouldn’t take long to get there,” Aaron says. “You okay back there, Amber?”
“Yes. Thanks for showing up. I thought I might have to spend the night out here with the cows.”
Aaron thumbs to me. “Not to mention this asshole.”
“That would have been torture.”
I turn and catch her smiling. Is it wrong of me to wish Aaron wouldn’t have found us until morning?
I’m at the lodge fixing a stuck window when Amber hobbles by on her crutches. Luckily, she didn’t break it. It’s just a bad sprain.
“You’re getting better with those things.”
“The stairs are a bitch.”
“I’ll bet.” She goes into the kitchen. I follow. “Whenever you need a ride to the airport, I’d be happy to take you. By truck, that is. The chopper won’t be fixed for a while.”
“I’m not going to the airport.”
“Then how will you get home?”
She pulls out a chair, sits, and puts her leg up on another. Joe, the chef who prepares food anytime guests are at the lodge, hands her a cup of tea. She thanks him. “I’m not going home. Not until I can rent a car. The doctor says it might be a few weeks before I can do a 1500-mile drive.”
“Tea?” Joe asks me.
“I’m good. Thanks.” I nod to the stove. “What smells so good?”
“Makin’ my famous pot roast. The trick is to brown it all around, then put it in a slow cooker all afternoon. Wanted to make everyone’s last meal here the best. There’s enough to go around if you want to join them.”
“No, that’s all right. It’s a family dinner.”
“I might not be here either, Joe,” Amber says. “I have work to do. Save me some, though.”
“Will do, Missy.”
“Work?” I give her the side-eye.
She shrugs. I don’t question her further. I know how she feels about family. Well, actually, I don’t. She doesn’t talk about it much.
“Anyway,” I say. “I didn’t peg you as a woman who’s scared of anything.”
“That’s before I saw my life flash before my eyes. I’m not going back in the air anytime soon.”
I shake my head. “But you’ll brave twenty hours in a car on dangerous highways?”
“Leave the lady alone, Quinn. She probably has PTSD after the crash.”
“Would everyone please stop calling it a crash? We didn’t crash. There’s barely a scratch on the chopper.”
“What would you have us call it?” Amber asks.
“I don’t know. An unfortunate incident? A bad turn of events?”
Joe refills her tea. “I’d call it a damn miracle.”
“Nobody asked you, Joe,” I say.
He chuckles and goes back to his cooking.
“So, two weeks, huh? Where will you stay? I hear there’s a large group coming here in a few days. Did Maddox offer you the guest house?”
“His dad will be staying there for a week or so. I guess Gavin wants to see how things are running around here.”
“Shame. It’s really nice there.”
“He said there’s a furnished apartment I could use by the stables.”
I have a hard time holding in my smile. “He did, huh?”
“I’m moving there tomorrow when everyone leaves.”
“Great. I’ll see you around, then.”
“I don’t know. I’ll probably be holed up in the apartment working. Maddox says they have great Wi-Fi.”
“Okay then. I guess this is goodbye.”
For a second, a look crosses her face. I almost think she’s disappointed. She recovers quickly, though. “Bye, Quinn,” she says, before picking up her phone to busy herself.
I turn and leave, suddenly excited about the next two weeks.
Chapter Eight
Amber
Piper sits opposite me at the table. “Thanks for agreeing to have lunch with me. I know it’s been a crazy few days. Are you doing okay?”
I lean my crutches against an empty chair. “I will be when the ankle is all better.”
A waitress hands us menus, and we order drinks. “Maddox said you’re staying on for a while?”
“I’m not eager to get back up in the air just yet.”
“I can’t blame you. It must have been terrifying.”
“Kind of. I mean, part of me thinks I’m overreacting. We didn’t exactly crash. It was the thought of crashing that was the most disturbing. But Quinn was cool and collected and got us down safely. The ankle was all my fault. It had nothing to do with him.”
“Staying on the ranch for a few weeks might give you some perspective. It’s quiet here. Not like the city or even Calloway Creek. What do you plan to do with your time?”
“Work from home, I suppose.”
“You should get out and see the ranch if you can. It’s amazing. Have you ever been on a horse?”
“No.”
“Well, there’s never been a better opportunity.”
“Maybe. I’ll see.”
We make small talk and order lunch. It’s like having a meal with an old friend. Except she’s not an old friend; she’s my mother. I wonder if she thinks of me that way. She never introduces me as her daughter or even her biological daughter. Just Amber.<
br />
“We haven’t really sat down and talked much over the years, have we?” she asks.
I shrug. I know it’s mostly my fault. “I guess not.”
“I’m sorry about your dad. It must be hard for you to see him fade away like that. If you ever need to talk to someone, I’m here. And I’m only a thirty-minute train ride away. I don’t mean to take his place, or Julie’s. I’m just saying, if you wanted to talk about… anything, I’m always available.”
I don’t know what to say. There are plenty of things I should say. Things I thought of in the helicopter when I thought I might die. But I can’t. I trace a finger around the base of my iced tea, catching condensation droplets.
“What am I saying?” she says. “I’m being silly. You’re twenty-eight. You don’t need parenting.”
She doesn’t know how wrong she is. She doesn’t know I’ve never had parenting. Dad was a great father when he was around, but I was raised by nannies and babysitters. I never had a full-time parent. Is it crazy of me, at this age, to crave it? She already has three kids. She doesn’t need a dysfunctional adult disrupting her perfect life.
Her hand comes across the table and rests over mine. “Do you want to hear about the day you were born?”
My eyes sting. “Yes.”
I’ve thought about asking her this before, but knowing the circumstances that put her in such a position—namely, being gang raped—I figured she never wanted to speak of it again.
She pushes away her half-eaten salad. “I got to spend an hour with you, just the two of us, alone on the day that was both our birthdays. It was the best and worst hour of my life. You were perfect. You had dark blonde hair and blue eyes that I hoped would turn green like mine. I didn’t understand how something so perfect could come from something so ugly. But I knew what I was doing was right. I couldn’t keep you. I could barely take care of myself. I was broken. You were going to a good family that could offer you everything I couldn’t. It was my only solace.”
She fingers the pewter rosebud charm on the bracelet she never goes without. “Charlie, my best friend, got me this the day you were born. I’m not sure I ever told you why. She said it was to remind me that you would grow and bloom into a young woman whose life was filled with endless possibilities. Every time I looked at it, I’d think of you. I hoped you were growing up happy and healthy. I dreamed of the woman you would become.” Tears flood her eyes. “I’ve never asked you this before because I thought the answer would destroy me, but can you ever forgive me? Can you forgive me for thinking you’d be better off without me because I knew every time I looked at you, I’d be reminded of what happened?”
I swallow the lump in my throat. “Is that still what you think about when you look at me?”
Her head shakes from side to side. “No. I think of what a miracle you are. And I think of how great things can sometimes come from terrible tragedies.”
“I never blamed you, Piper. There’s nothing to forgive.”
“Thank you.”
“It’s true. And I’ve had a good life.”
“I’m sorry it’s been filled with so much sadness.”
“It’s just my dad who I’m sad about. I don’t remember my mom. I was too young. I only know her through the stories Dad tells. And if you never had something, you don’t miss it.”
It’s a lie. My whole life, I’ve wanted a mom. My friends had moms who would take them shopping. Do their hair. Cry with them over broken hearts.
“Well, in my opinion, despite what I said before, I don’t think you’re ever too old to need a parent, or someone like it. I rely on my mother all the time. I still call her to get her advice before making major decisions. So if you ever need an opinion on something—what car to buy, how short to cut your hair—I want you to know you can call me.”
If she had said it six months ago, or even six days ago, I might have had a different reaction. But somehow, after being on the helicopter yesterday and seeing my life flash before me, I find myself wanting her opinion. Maybe I even need it. “Okay.”
She wipes her eyes with a napkin. “Enough of this. Let’s talk about something more fun. Like you running off with the attractive helicopter pilot after the wedding.”
“You knew about that?”
“We all did. There’s something you need to know about the Mitchells—we talk about everything. Plus, Hailey heard you come in at three in the morning.”
“It was nothing. Just a fun night, is all.”
“So there’s nothing there?”
I cough. “What? No. I’m not a big fan of boyfriends.”
She cocks her head. “What do you mean exactly?”
“That I don’t want a boyfriend. Never have.”
“Are you saying you’re twenty-eight and have never been in a relationship?”
“Yup.”
“Wow. I realize not every woman needs a man, but I had hoped that one day you would find your Mason.”
“My Mason? You want me to marry a hot football jock?”
“I want you to find someone who completes you. Who you can’t live without. Someone who thinks the sun and moon rise with you.”
“Maybe I’m already complete.” Lie.
Guilt crosses her face. Or perhaps sadness. “You’re right. You’re perfect just the way you are.” She puts money on the table. “I have to get back so we can leave for the airport. You sure you don’t want to come with us? That way you wouldn’t be flying alone.”
“I’m sure. As soon as my ankle heals, I’ll rent a car and drive home.”
She stands and hands me the crutches. “Do you think we could have lunch when you get back? If you’re up for it, we could even make it a monthly thing. This weekend has really made me realize how important family is.”
Family. I say the word in my head, wondering if it’s too late for me to truly become a part of one.
Later in the evening, after everyone leaves for the airport, I go back to the apartment where I dropped my things earlier. I hold both crutches in one hand, grip the banister, and hop my way to the second floor, where the apartments are over the ranch offices. I stop dead in my tracks when I see Quinn walking outside my door. “What are you doing here?”
He turns. “Hey, stranger.”
I pull out my key. “We are not doing this.”
“Doing what exactly?”
“This. Us. Sex. A booty call. Whatever you’re here for.”
He walks further down the hall and opens the door to the apartment next to mine. “Who said anything about that? I’m just going home.”
“You live here?”
“Good night, Amber,” he says and walks through his door.
My heart races. I’m just not sure if it’s because I’m relieved… or disappointed.
Chapter Nine
Quinn
I do a double take when I walk past the outdoor arena. Amber is sitting on a bench holding Aaron’s three-month-old son. I haven’t seen her for days. I’ve been busy working and talking with the NTSB. She’s been holed up in her apartment doing whatever head hunters do.
I stroll up behind her. She’s making silly noises while tickling Casey into a belly laugh.
“Didn’t know you were so good with babies,” I say.
She straps Casey back into his car seat and dangles a toy from the handle. “I have some friends with kids.”
I nod to Aaron’s wife, Devyn, who’s in the arena with our head trainer, Mickey. “You and her getting along?”
“Devyn is really nice. Tragic past, though.”
“She told you? I guess you are getting along. She usually keeps those details to herself.”
“What can I say? I have a charm people can’t resist.”
If she only knew.
I’ve had a hard time sleeping this week, thinking about what we did to each other and knowing she’s only a few inches of Sheetrock away. Her bedroom is literally on the other side of the wall from mine. I lie awake at night, wondering what she�
��s doing over there. Is she sleeping naked like the day I walked into her room at the lodge? Does she touch herself and think of our night together? What am I thinking? Of course she does. She flat out told me she’s good at it. Shit. I sit on the bench to mask my rising problem.
I pat Casey’s head and let him tug on my finger, but it doesn’t seem to keep me from thinking of her. Why can’t I stop? I don’t think of girls once I leave their beds. Not ever. So why am I thinking of this one? All the fucking time?
“It’s amazing what they can get the horses to do,” she says.
“Devyn is getting really good at it. She’s a natural.”
“She’s so much smaller than the horse.”
“Horses are gentle animals,” I say.
She snickers. “Tell that to your bruised ribs.”
“Speaking of which, I have a rodeo to get to.” I stand. “I’ll see you later.”
“Wait. Can I come?”
“You want to watch me rodeo?”
“If that’s code for watching you fall off some horse and onto your ass, then yes.”
“Not likely. I haven’t fallen in two months. Not during the ride anyway.”
“Am I allowed to go?” She nods to her crutches. “Will these be a problem?”
“There are stands you can sit in. You really want to?”
“I assume there will be other cowboys there?”
I feel a knot forming in my stomach. “Yeah.”
“Then sign me up. I just need to get Casey over to Andie’s house.”
I pick up the car seat. “I’ll do it. Meet me at the truck in five.”
As I walk Casey to Andie and Maddox’s place, Amber shouts to Devyn to let her know our plans.
She’s in my truck when I return. I pass it, run to the stable, and come back with a hat. I get in and put it on her head. “No self-respecting Texan would show up to a rodeo without a hat.”
“I’m not a Texan.”
“And you’ll stick out like a sore thumb without one.”
“Fine,” she says, adjusting it until it sits properly. She looks over at me. “Are we going?”
Texas Roses (The Devil's Horn Ranch Series) Page 5