His dad popped him on the leg and sank into a chair across from him. “It’s good to have you home, boy.” Concern creased his brow. “Although, I’m not happy you had to sacrifice your job to do it.”
Gavin frowned. “Come on, Pops. I didn’t sacrifice anything I wasn’t ready to give up. And by the looks of it, I’ll have plenty to keep me busy around here. Which reminds me, I had Tom look into Nelson’s ranch.”
His dad wiped a hand over his mouth and chin. “Pretty big undertaking, don’t you think? You don’t want to start small? Like getting your arms around what we already have before you try to double it?”
Gavin smiled with pure enjoyment. “Go big or go home.”
“You are home,” he said dryly.
“Not the point.” Gavin slid to the edge of the couch and rested his arms on his knees. “Listen, Pops. We have an opportunity here. Nelson left the ranch to his niece, who is ill-equipped to handle a spread that size. Hell, of any size. She’s got no experience, and she’s got no family, as far as Tom has been able to find. She’ll be taken advantage of. If we don’t make an offer, someone else will. Or worse, someone will sneak in and take it out from under her.”
Pops seemed to consider what he said. Finally, he spoke. “The vultures are circling, son. Make damn sure you aren’t one of them. I don’t know what kind of fancy deals you’re used to makin’, and there was no love loss between old Lawrence and me, but we won’t be a part of taking advantage of that poor girl.”
Gavin bit back an angry retort. His dad’s comment wasn’t anything new, but this time the dig didn’t rile him as it would’ve in the past. Pops hadn’t been a fan of him going to work for corporate America, but he should at least give Gavin a little credit. “Understood, sir. For the record, taking advantage of her wasn’t my intent. Any deal we strike will be mutually beneficial.”
Pops nodded, seemingly satisfied his son had retained a moral compass while working for the big bad. “Good enough. Assuming you can put together such a deal, have you considered how you’ll handle that kind of growth?”
“I haven’t worked out all the details. Of course, we’ll need to get Pax and Clay involved in the logistics, and the whole family will need to agree on terms, since it will affect all of us.” Gavin looked Pops in the eye. “And I have someone I’d like to bring in.”
Pops cocked a brow. “Who?”
Gavin couldn’t keep the smile from his face. “Lauren Delgado. She and I worked together for years, and she would be a valuable asset to us.” To me.
“I see.” Gavin suspected he did see, since his dad mirrored his smile. “And in what capacity will Miss Delgado be joining our little outfit?”
In that moment, Gavin had never been more sure of anything in his life. “If I’m lucky, Pops, she’ll be my wife.”
But, he’d take whatever she’d give him.
He’d hurt her. The fact ripped his guts to shreds. He probably had no right to ask her to stay with him. To upheave her life and move to Texas, where she had no friends or family.
He’d spend every day making sure she never regretted a moment with him. She’d wake each day and sleep each night knowing she was cherished. Loved beyond measure.
So, whether he had the right or not, he damn sure was going to ask.
Chapter Eleven
Lauren sat on the beach and looked out over the Gulf, her thoughts conflicted.
She’d found out Gavin had hidden the truth from her, yet all she could feel was relieved Erin had turned out to be his sister and not competition for his heart.
She didn’t care about the job. Sure, she’d been shocked—had spent a few days in relative self-pity whenever Gavin wasn’t occupying her mind or her body—but she’d worked through it.
Lauren had put in her time each day, giving everything she had to something that didn’t give back. Not in the way that mattered.
The hard truth of it was Lauren’s heart hadn’t been in her work for quite some time. Her friends had tried to tell her she was working too hard, but she hadn’t listened. It was crazy talk. She hadn’t felt burned out or run down. Her life had felt complete.
Until she’d come to Galveston.
Lauren flexed her toes in the cool, wet sand and drew in the salt flavored breeze. She shouldn’t have come here. Being with Gavin had opened her eyes to what she’d been missing. Even now, the thought of his sapphire stare and sexy smile—the one with the dimples—made her breath catch. He’d made her feel special, wanted. And when she had to go, her heart would stay here, on Galveston Island. With him.
She stood and brushed the sand off her butt. She draped her towel over her shoulder and walked back up to the house.
Could things get more complicated?
Gavin was right, she did know him. He hadn’t intended to hurt her. And he wouldn’t have decided to move back to Texas on a whim. In business, he was methodical, looked at every angle. Stood to reason he’d handle his personal life the same way. Maybe he was feeling as disconnected to his life as she was to hers and wanted to be close to his family. She hadn’t really given him the chance to tell her his plans once the cat was out of the bag.
All she knew was he’d moved back to Texas, and she lived in New York, although that could change with one phone call. She’d told her employment agency not to restrict the search. She’d be willing to move. She’d even gone so far as to have them focus on the Houston area, in order to see if she had any hope of staying close to Gavin.
So far … nothing. Not just in Houston, but anywhere.
She had to have a job, a way to support herself. Her savings wouldn’t last forever, and the fantasy she’d been living with Gavin these last few weeks couldn’t go on. As wonderful as it had been, all vacations must come to an end.
She used to wonder how people did it—took extended periods of time off, throwing away hard-earned money for a week of amusement. Now, she wondered how she was supposed to go back to her life.
Everything was different now. She was different. Wanting something more wasn’t simply in theory anymore. It was a deep-seeded need wrapped around her heart.
When she walked back into the house, her cell phone was ringing. Her heart jumped, almost as fast as she did to answer, hoping it would be Gavin.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Lauren. Andrew here.”
Lauren stifled her disappointment. Her headhunter. She’d used Andrew several times when she’d needed to find top-notch people for Clearwater to employ. The guy was a genius when it came to finding the right person, and she hoped he could work a little magic for her on the flip side.
“Hi, Andrew. What’s up?”
“I’ve got something.”
Her pulse sped up. “In Houston?”
“No, sorry. Still nothing in that area.” He sounded as if there never would be. “The company is in San Diego.”
Lauren fought back tears. California. Opposite end of the country from her current home, and far enough from Galveston to eliminate the option of weekend road-trips.
Andrew must have sensed her hesitation, because his tone changed from excited to cautious. “They’re a player, Lauren. They were about to pull the trigger on hiring a guy out of Utah, but I convinced them to hold off until they met with you. Honestly, once they saw your background, it was a no-brainer.”
“What’s on the table?”
Lauren guessed if Andrew had been in front of her, he’d have kissed her. “I’ve emailed you all the information. They don’t want to wait, Lauren. They want to meet you in the morning at nine. I checked on flights and it’s doable, but you’ve got to leave now.”
Too fast. Shit, she needed time to think. She didn’t know when Gavin would be back, and they hadn’t exactly left things on an ideal note. If she left now, what would he think?
She wasn’t ready for it to be over. She loved Gavin and had no idea what to do about it.
Telling him seemed the logical thing to do, but wouldn’t solve her employment problem. Worst case, he wouldn’t love her back. Best case, they’d be doomed to a long distance relationship.
Maybe they weren’t meant to be. That thought depressed the shit out of her.
“Lauren,” Andrew said slowly. “They are offering three times the amount you made in New York.” He hesitated, probably to allow her time to digest that little tidbit of need-to-know. “Complete benefits package, including stock options.” He sighed loudly. “You won’t get a better deal. I’m strongly advising you take this meeting.”
Andrew was right. An opportunity like that deserved at least a meeting. She’d known this day would come, though she hadn’t expected it to hurt quite this much.
“Set it up,” she said and went to pack her things.
* * *
Gavin cursed at the time. He hadn’t intended to spend so long at the ranch, but it was almost dark by the time he pulled into the driveway at the beach house.
And his curses became much more colorful as he noticed Lauren’s rental car was missing.
So many times today he’d reached to text her, only to remember his fucking phone was dead and he hadn’t put his charger in the truck.
He let himself in, his mood turning blacker by the minute. He went to the bedroom. Her stuff was gone. He peeked into the bathroom. All of it … gone. Not so much as a toothbrush to show she’d been here.
His hands shook like a motherfucker and he rubbed a fist over his chest. Goddamn, this hurt. She might have removed her belongings, but she couldn’t remove the sweet scent of her shampoo that still hung in the air, taunting him. Every room held a different reminder, of laughter, of passion, of her.
She’d said she’d be here when he got back. Hadn’t she?
He replayed every moment from this morning. He’d been shocked by her attitude toward Erin at first, and had flirted with the idea she’d acted jealous, possessive. He glanced around his empty house. Apparently not.
She’d asked for time to herself and then nodded when he’d asked her to stay. He’d taken her gesture and fooled himself into believing it to be a confirmation.
He was such an idiot. He shouldn’t have left until he’d made things right. Instead, he’d given her the space she’d needed to walk away. No telling where she’d gone or even how she felt about him now. And with his dead fucking phone, he couldn’t even call her.
Gavin wandered through the house. Maybe she’d left him a note. When he came up empty on the note front, he grabbed a bottle of scotch and went to the kitchen for a glass.
It’s possible she tried to text him. That thought lasted about another minute as he plugged in his phone and powered it on. He waited. And waited.
Pain and anger slammed him at once, each warring for the upper hand.
She’d left him without a fucking word.
Chapter Twelve
For the second time in two weeks, it was completely dark by the time Lauren pulled up to the beach house on Galveston Island.
She checked her reflection in the rear view and cringed at her swollen, red-rimmed eyes. She’d made it half way to Houston before the tears streaming down her face had forced her to the side of the road. And that wasn’t the half of it.
After she’d cried herself exhausted, she’d gotten turned around and ended up traveling in endless circles until she’d screamed in frustration. Fucking GPS, her ass. It had GPS’d her to insanity, which was nowhere near the address she wanted.
She’d pulled over, again, and held the frayed ends of her patience while she’d navigated through the menus to find Gavin’s address.
She hadn’t even tried to find the airport. She couldn’t do it. Couldn’t go to California without knowing where she stood with Gavin. They hadn’t talked about the future, about what they meant to each other. From the way he’d looked at her, the way he’d touched her… Lauren knew he returned at least some of her feelings.
She was banking her future on it.
Their talk this morning had opened her eyes, in more ways than one. She realized he had tried to talk to her about losing her job. Repeatedly. But, her pride had shut down his attempts. She’d been too wrapped up in her grief and perceived failings. She hadn’t given him a chance to touch the subject for fear he’d see her as inadequate.
Which was bullshit, because she wasn’t. And Gavin had proven, time and time again, he hadn’t considered her lacking in any way.
If she wanted them to be a couple, she’d better start acting the part. Running off to California for a life-changing job interview, without so much as a word to Gavin, was not the way to do it. She’d tried to text him, only to realize mere words on a screen wouldn’t be enough. Her calls went straight to voice mail, and leaving one hadn’t seemed right either.
She loved Gavin, more than any job, more than any place. He’d given her space when it had obviously killed him to do so, and she’d repaid him by taking off.
Lauren frowned as she let herself into the darkened house. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure she hadn’t imagined his truck, and there it sat, looming over her tiny rental car.
She left her bag by the door and went further in. The slider was open, and she saw his silhouette on the deck. He stood at the railing, looking out over the Gulf.
Her heart clenched at the sadness permeating the air around him.
“Gavin?” His shoulders rose and fell in slow motion and she heard the distinct sound of ice jingling in a glass.
He raised a hand and his head leaned back. By the look of it, whatever had been in the glass was now traveling down his throat. She glanced at his other hand and saw an almost empty bottle of something dangling from his fingers. Scotch, would be her guess.
“Are you drunk?” she blurted. She wouldn’t blame him, since she could use a drink herself, but that probably wasn’t the greatest way to start a conversation. Right up there with I was going to tell you…
He made a disgruntled sound. “Hardly. Although, if the bottle hadn’t been all but empty to start with, I might’ve considered it.” He set the glass and bottle on the rail and turned toward her. “Funny what runs through a man’s mind when he comes home to an empty house. Especially when he’s expecting something quite different.”
He still wore the jeans and button-up she’d seen earlier, but the boots were nowhere in sight. He’d unbuttoned and untucked his shirt, and as he shoved his hands into his pockets, she couldn’t help but appreciate the ripple of muscles on display.
He didn’t look any different. A little angry, maybe. But, knowing she loved him enhanced what was already there. Her mouth went dry and she licked her lips as she met his gaze. “I’m sorry about that.”
His brows lowered. “Come here.”
Butterflies exploded in her stomach at the same time her pussy clenched tight. That didn’t seem the appropriate response to his demanding tone, but her wet panties begged to differ. She was dying to get her hands on him, to put today behind them and move forward.
“Christ, Lauren. If you keep looking at me like that, I’ll end up fucking you up against the house. Solid idea, but we’ve got some shit to get straight first.” He leaned back against the rail and crossed his arms. “I’ll go first. I love you.”
Lauren closed her eyes, savoring the words she’d hoped to hear. She hesitated all of ten seconds before she moved from the doorway and launched herself into his arms, almost knocking them both over in the process.
“Easy, sweetheart.” he whispered. “I’d rather keep our tumbles to the bedroom, if you don’t mind.” His arms supported her as she buried her nose in his neck and squeezed him tight. The stress of their earlier argument and her decision about the job
offer melted away the minute his arms locked around her.
“I’m so sorry I took off. It happened so fast. I didn’t have time to think.” Lauren hadn’t realized she was dangling until he loosened his hold and she slid back to her feet.
His gaze was intense. “I’ve been standing out here, waiting for my damn phone to charge long enough so I could call you, and trying to figure out what I would say.” He cupped her cheek. “The minute I heard your voice, I had to tell you the only thing that mattered.”
She tried to wrap her arms around him, but he turned her instead, pulling her back against his chest. Her breath caught as he turned them around, trapping her between the rail and his rock-solid strength.
His hands slid over her belly and down to sneak under the hem of her shirt. “Where’d you go?” His voice was soft in her ear as he traced around her belly button.
Lauren relaxed against him, reeling with the fact he loved her. “Andrew called with a lucrative job offer. I got the impression it was a done deal. All I had to do was show up at the meeting. Andrew scheduled it for nine in the morning.”
He tensed, but his fingers kept moving. “And where is this job?”
“California.” She grabbed his hands before he could pull away. She laced her fingers with his and held him in place. She craned her neck to look at his scowling face. “I’m not going, Gavin, because I love you, too. I realize you can’t leave Texas. You came here for a reason I trust you’ll share, and I know you wouldn’t have made that decision lightly.”
His lips thinned. “I’m here to help with the ranch. My dad wants to retire. My brothers are great with cattle, not so great with paperwork.”
Lauren didn’t buy for a second Gavin had come here to push papers. “Gonna be a white-collar cowboy, huh?”
His grin was full of mischief. “I’ve got some ideas, but if my brothers have their way, I’ll spend my fair share of time mucking around in the mud.”
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