In Bed with the Wrangler

by Barbara Dunlop

“Only Amber knows the answer to that.” Hargrove shook his head in disgust. “Forget that the wedding dress arrived from Paris this week, that the caterer’s put the Kobe beef on hold, that the florist has a Holland order in limbo and that the press has been commenting on Amber’s absence. We have fifty people arriving for the wedding shower on Saturday. Her mother’s frantic with worry.”

  Royce swallowed, considering for the first time the destruction Amber had left in her wake.

  Hargrove’s dark eyes glittered. “I can’t wait to sit her down and ask a few questions.”

  “Did you think about canceling everything?” Royce ventured. If it was him, and the bride went AWOL, as Amber had, Royce couldn’t see himself waiting around.

  “Are you married, Mr. Ryder?”

  Royce shook his head.

  “Ever been in love?”

  “Nope.”

  “Well, once you get there, you’ll find yourself making allowances for the most inappropriate behavior.”

  “So, you’d take her back?”

  “You don’t throw this away over some prewedding jitters. Our plans have been in the works for four years. Our relationship is built on mutual goals and respect. And the foundation of my entire campaign has been built around the fresh faces of Mr. and Mrs. Hargrove Alston. If we’re lucky, she’ll be pregnant by the primaries.”

  It sounded a little cold-blooded to Royce. But it also sounded as though Amber was fundamentally entwined in Hargrove’s life. And he hadn’t considered the situation from Hargrove’s perspective.

  Amber herself had admitted he was a decent guy. He wasn’t malicious or abusive. He simply wasn’t as exciting as she’d hoped.

  Well, hell, honey, it had been four years. When you were in it for the long haul, the thrill of romance eventually turned into the routine of everyday life.

  “There’s no way you end something like this on a whim,” Hargrove finished, and Royce couldn’t deny the man’s point.

  Relationships took work. They took patience and commitment. They didn’t need third party interference. An honorable man would have walked away the minute he saw her diamond ring.

  And what the hell had Royce expected? Amber wouldn’t stick with him any more than she’d stuck with Hargrove. In the end, he would have been left with nothing but a broken heart and the knowledge he’d destroyed another man’s life.

  Another engine sounded on the driveway. Before the blue pickup even crested the hill, Royce knew exactly who had arrived.

  Ten

  “You didn’t,” Amber rasped to Katie as the truck rocked to a stop behind Hargrove’s car, and the dust cleared around them.

  “I really didn’t,” Katie responded, her face pale.

  “Did you talk to him last night?”

  “Just about business.”

  “Did you tell him we were together?” Amber squinted at Hargrove, then at Royce, trying to interpret their posture.

  Katie clutched the dashboard. “I hinted we were in Chicago.”

  “He knew I wasn’t in Chicago. He must have tracked you here.”

  “Damn it,” Katie cursed.

  “You go talk to him,” said Amber.

  “No way.”

  “You’re the one who slept with him. Maybe he’s here for you.”

  Katie frantically shook her head. “Neither of us have even mentioned it. He’s here for you.”

  “He doesn’t want me.”

  But Hargrove’s accusatory gaze was focused directly on Amber.

  “I don’t think he knows that,” Katie offered.

  This time Amber swore between clenched teeth. She grabbed the gearshift, setting up to pull it into Reverse. “I say we run for it.”

  “I don’t think that’s an option,” Katie ventured, her gaze tracking Royce as he paced toward the truck.

  He looked angry.

  Had Hargrove been rude?

  Royce reached for the handle and swung open her door. “There’s somebody here to see you.”

  “I’m sorry, Royce. I didn’t expect—”

  “You knew he’d come,” said Royce, hand gripping the top of the door frame. “I knew he’d come.”

  Amber had fervently hoped he wouldn’t. She glanced at Katie, who sat completely still, eyes front. No help there. Finally, she took a breath and pulled the key from the ignition.

  Royce stepped back out of the way, as Hargrove marched up.

  “Montana?” Hargrove accused. “Honestly, Amber, could you make things any more difficult?”

  Royce backed off farther, and she knew he was leaving.

  “Royce, don’t—”

  But he shook his head, sliding his eyes meaningfully toward Hargrove.

  And he was right. They might as well get this conversation over with.

  “We need to talk,” rasped Hargrove, moving in too close and pushing the truck door closed.

  “There’s not a lot left to say,” she responded, pushing her windblown hair behind her ears and gathering her courage as Royce left.

  It was hard for her to imagine what came after you slept with the bridesmaid, and I fell for someone else.

  “Do you have any idea how much trouble you’ve caused?” Hargrove growled. “We’ve got a thousand people working on the wedding. Nobody knows whether to stop, go, or hold.”

  “I already told you. They can stop.”

  “You can’t just shut this down on a dime, Amber. We had plans. There’s the campaign, the press.”

  “I’m not marrying you to get good press, Hargrove.”

  He held up his hands in frustration. “This isn’t a one-shot article, Amber. We’re talking about my entire political career.”

  “Yours won’t be the first high-profile wedding that was canceled.”

  “And do you know what happened to the others?”

  “I don’t care what happened to the others. I don’t love you, Hargrove. And you don’t love me.”

  “That’s ridiculous.”

  “Then why did you sleep with Katie?”

  His jaw went taut. “That was a mistake.”

  “Excuse me?” Katie squeaked from beyond the open window, reminding them both of her presence.

  Hargrove’s nostrils flared.

  “A mistake?” Amber scoffed. “What? Did you trip and accidentally tear off the wedding dress?”

  “I don’t know what she told you.”

  “I’m right here,” Katie pointed out, exiting the truck and slamming the passenger door for emphasis.

  “She said you were wild with passion.”

  “That’s ridiculous.” But a flush rose up his neck.

  “You never tore off my dress,” said Amber.

  “That was out of respect.”

  Amber shook her head at Hargrove. “It was out of disinterest. Admit it.”

  “I’m not here to fight with you.”

  “That’s good,” said Amber as she dared a glance to where Katie was glaring daggers at him. “Because I think I’d have to take a number.”

  Hargrove glanced at Katie. “Can you give us some privacy.”

  “No.” She stood her ground.

  “This isn’t about you.”

  “The hell it isn’t.”

  “I’m going to give you two some privacy,” said Amber.

  Hargrove quickly reached for her arm. “Amber—”

  “It’s over, Hargrove.” She backed out of his reach. “I’m truly sorry about the press and the campaign, but I can’t marry you.”

  “Amber!” He looked genuinely fearful. “You don’t know what you’re doing to me.”

  She shook her head. “You don’t know what you’re doing to yourself. Talk to Katie.”

  “This isn’t about Katie.”

  “It should be.” Amber backed up a few more steps. “Don’t screw this up, Hargrove,” she warned.

  Then she turned away, scanning the yard and finding Royce in a round pen, doing groundwork with a black horse.

  Heart still pounding, stomach
still cramped, she made her way to the rail and leaned over to watch.

  Royce shifted his arms, and the horse sped up. Then he slowed it down, turned it and had it trotting in the opposite direction. It was near poetry, and the tension leached out of her body.

  Several minutes later, he approached the animal. He stroked its neck, clipping a lead rope to its bridle then tying it to a rail. He walked through the soft dirt toward Amber.

  He braced his hands on the opposite side of the fence. “You here to say goodbye?”

  She drew back in surprise. “No.”

  He nodded toward Hargrove. “He came a long way.”

  “I told you, I’m not marrying him.”

  “Why not?”

  Amber peered at Royce in confusion. “What do you mean why not?” She leaned forward. “I’ve just spent the last week with you.”

  He shrugged. “That doesn’t mean anything.”

  She opened her mouth, struggling to form words.

  “I’m new, Amber.” He stripped off a pair of leather gloves. “I seem interesting and exciting. You’re on vacation, having a fling.”

  Amber’s fingertips went to her temple. “A fling?”

  He calmly tucked the gloves under his arm and adjusted his Stetson. “Hargrove is willing to take you back. You should seriously consider his offer.”

  Her frustration was turning to anger. “You said anybody who told me that was short-sighted and stupid.”

  “Guess I was wrong.”

  She shook her head, but he stayed stubbornly silent.

  She clenched her jaw, then enunciated her words slowly and carefully. “I do not love Hargrove.”

  “You don’t know that for sure.”

  “I absolutely know that for sure. Because I love you, Royce.”

  The words went unanswered. But she wasn’t sorry. This was no fling. He was falling for her, too. She’d bet her life on it.

  No one had ever treated her the way Royce did. He was compassionate, attentive and so very sexy. And she was positive he didn’t open up with many other people the way he’d opened up with her. He’d flat out told her nobody else knew about his father. And their lovemaking was off the charts.

  He scoffed out a laugh. “You don’t love me.”

  She smacked her hand on the rail in frustration. “What is the matter with you? Are you afraid of Hargrove?”

  Royce’s eyes glittered. “I’m not afraid of anybody.”

  “Well, I know you feel it, too.”

  He whipped off his hat, banging it on his thigh to release the dust. “If by it, you mean lust, then you’re right.”

  “I don’t mean lust.”

  “People don’t fall in love in a week.”

  “People can fall in love in an hour.”

  “Not so it lasts.” It was his turn to lean in. “It’s lust, Amber. It’s a fling. What you have with Hargrove is real, and you need to go back to him.”

  “Hargrove loves Katie.”

  Royce smacked his hat back on his head. “Then why’s he here looking for you?”

  “He doesn’t know it yet.” She realized that sounded lame, but it was completely true. Amber had very high hopes that Hargrove would wake up to the truth about Katie.

  “Now you’re grasping at straws. Go back to reality, Amber. Get married in that big cathedral and have beautiful babies for the campaign trail.”

  “Are you listening to yourself?” She gripped the rail. “You’re willing to throw away everything that’s between us?”

  A part of her couldn’t believe it. A part of her expected to wake up any second. But another brusque, insidious part of her realized she’d made a horrible mistake.

  She might have fallen for Royce. But Royce hadn’t fallen for her.

  “You’ve spun a nice fantasy, here,” he said. Then he nodded toward Hargrove’s car. “But your reality is over there.”

  Her throat closed over, and she swallowed hard. “You’re asking me to leave?”

  His expression was unreadable. “I’m asking you to leave.”

  She gave a stiff nod, unable to speak. Royce didn’t love her. He didn’t want her. And she’d made a complete and total fool of herself.

  Two days later, Amber alternated between misery and mortification. Royce might not have loved her, but her heart had fallen hard and fast for him.

  It was easy to see what made him such a great pick-up artist. He must make every woman feel loved and cherished—at least temporarily. She wondered about the string of broken hearts he’d left behind.

  Then she wondered who he’d be with next. But that thought hurt so much she banished it, blinking back the familiar sting in her eyes as she focused on her mother far across her family’s great room.

  The replacement-for-the-shower party was in full swing. But Amber didn’t feel remotely like celebrating.

  Maybe if Royce had simply sweet-talked her into bed, if they’d had fantastic sex, if he’d put her in a cab in the morning, maybe then she could have handled it. But he hadn’t simply made love to her. He’d joked and laughed with her, shared his secrets with her, made her feel valuable, important, a part of his world.

  “Amber?” Her mother, Reena, approached, concern in her expression.

  Amber tried to smile at her mother. Her family had been told that she was the one to break it off with Hargrove. But nobody but Katie knew anything about Royce. Amber planned to keep it that way.

  Reena’s floor-length chiffon dress rustled to a halt. “Why aren’t you visiting, sweetheart?”

  “I’m a little tired.”

  “Are you sure that’s all it is?”

  “I’m sure.” She mustered up a smile.

  “That’s the best you can do? You look like you’re headed for the gallows.”

  Amber signed. “I’m really not in the mood for a party, Mom.”

  Reena moved in closer. “But I thought this was what you wanted.”

  “I didn’t want a party.”

  “Well, you didn’t want a shower, either. And the guests were already on their way.”

  Amber drew a shuddering breath, fighting the tears that were never far from the surface. Emotions alone shouldn’t hurt this much. Still, a single teardrop escaped, trailing coolly down her cheek.

  “Sweetheart,” her mother entreated, drawing Amber close to her side. “Do you miss him so much?”

  Amber startled in surprise. How had her mother guessed?

  Reena cupped Amber’s chin with gentle fingertips, peering deeply into her eyes. “Shall I give Hargrove a call for you? We might be able to talk him into—”

  “She’s not missing Hargrove,” came Katie’s voice as she swooped in to join them.

  “Of course she is,” said Reena. “Just look at her.”

  “I’m not missing Hargrove,” Amber confirmed.

  Katie gave Amber a level, challenging look. “She’s missing Royce Ryder.”

  Amber sucked in a gasp.

  “Who?” asked her mother, glancing from Amber to Katie and back again.

  Katie gave Amber a helpless shrug. “What’s the point in hiding it? It’s obvious to anyone that you’ve had your heart broken.”

  “Who is Royce Ryder?”

  “The man she met in Montana.”

  “I met him at Jared Ryder’s wedding,” Amber corrected. Where he’d picked her up in the bar for a quick fling. At least that’s the way he remembered it.

  Reena’s jaw dropped a notch, and her hand went to her chest. “You were unfaithful to Hargrove?”

  “I wasn’t unfaithful to Hargrove.” Frustration finally gave Amber an emotion to replace despair. “In fact, Hargrove was unfaithful to me.” She returned Katie’s look. “With Katie.”

  Katie’s face went pale, and Reena’s jaw dropped another notch.

  “They’d already split up,” Katie hastened to assure Reena.

  “That’s true,” Amber admitted. “Nobody was unfaithful to anybody.”

  Katie’s voice went soft. “
And she did fall in love with Royce.”

  Amber was too exhausted to deny it.

  “Oh, sweetheart.” Reena took Amber’s hand. Her mother was a romantic to the core. “That terrible man broke your heart?”

  “I broke my own heart.” As she said the words out loud, Amber admitted to herself they were true. “We barely knew each other. And my expectations were…Well, he’s just such an incredible man. You’d love him, Mom. You really would.”

  Reena’s narrow arm curled around her shoulders. “I wouldn’t like him at all. He broke my baby’s heart.”

  Jared’s familiar voice barked at Royce over the phone. “What the hell did you do?”

  “Jared? Finally. Where are—”

  “I need an explanation,” Jared demanded.

  Royce swiveled on the ranch house office chair, assuming Jared had been in contact with the Ryder office in Chicago. “I don’t even know where to start.”

  “Start with how you broke Amber Hutton’s heart and infuriated one of our most important clients.”

  Royce nearly dropped the phone. “Huh?”

  “I’ve only been gone a week, and you screw up this badly.”

  “She called you?” Royce could hardly believe it. What was Amber doing running to Jared?

  “David Hutton called me. He’s threatening to cancel his lease. You are aware that he’s our second-biggest client, right?”

  “Don’t patronize me.”

  “Then don’t sleep with our clients’ daughters.”

  What could Royce say to that? “It just…happened.”

  “Right. Well, un-happen it.”

  “I don’t think that’s physically possible.”

  “You know what I mean. Fix it.”

  “I can’t fix it. She’s engaged to someone else.”

  “What?” Jared’s voice rose to a roar.

  “Hargrove Alston.”

  “Then why did you sleep with her?”

  Royce didn’t have an answer for that. There wasn’t an excuse in the world for what he’d done.

  Jared was silent for a moment. “David thinks she’s in love with you?”

  “I’m not breaking up her engagement.”

  “Admirable,” said Jared.

  “Thank you.”

  “Could’ve thought of it before you slept with her.”

  Royce grunted.