In her dreams, she could share her heart with Brice, tell him how much she had come to love him, even if it seemed crazy. Bailey had never been in love before. Never wanted to be in love. Despite the short time she had known Brice, she knew what they felt for each other was something very special.
That’s why it frightened her beyond reason.
The more time she spent with Brice, the easier it was to brush aside her all-consuming focus on work and let her thoughts float over things like love, marriage, a future with Brice, and starting their own family.
Thinking her work made her happy and fulfilled, in the past month she had come to realize her work was just that - work. Oh, she loved it, enjoyed it, thrived on it. But not as much as she loved being with Brice. Not as much as she enjoyed the banter they shared. Not as much as she thrived on his touch, his laugh, his teasing smile meant just for her.
Being with Brice made her deliriously happy and was the one place she felt at home, at peace, like she belonged. Which is why she had to fight it.
When the day came she had to choose between Brice and her career, and Bailey knew it would come, she didn’t want to see the look of hurt on Brice’s face when she chose her work over him.
It was the way things had to be. There just wasn’t room in her life for both love and work. She couldn’t be consumed with one and leave the other dangling. It was all or nothing for Bailey and the longer she spent getting to know Brice, the more she realized he would get her all and her work would end up with nothing.
Thinking about losing Brice made her heart hurt more than her pounding head. Remembering her headache and Brice’s sweet and attentive care made Bailey even more distraught. How was she ever going to be able to tell that handsome, teasing cowboy goodbye? Especially when he was always going to hold a very big piece of her heart in his strong, calloused hands.
Tears escaped around her closed eyes and Bailey didn’t even try to stifle the sob that rose in her throat.
She gasped in surprise, though, when she felt rough thumbs brushing away her tears and a soft, deep voice speak near her ear.
“What’s wrong, sugar?” Brice asked, wondering if Bailey’s headache was worse. Her color was better and the brackets of pain around her eyes and mouth had gone away. She’d been peacefully sleeping until a few minutes ago when she started acting agitated then he saw the tears on her cheeks. Crying in her sleep couldn’t be a good sign. “Can I get you something? What can I do to help you?”
“Brice,” she whispered, opening her eyes to convince herself he was real and not just a dream. She took a deep breath and inhaled his scent, the scent that would forever be imbedded in her mind and heart, reminding her of the first and only man she was ever going to love. More tears rolled down her cheeks and she found herself needing to be close to him. “Hold me.”
Scooping her into his arms, Brice sat down on the bed with his back against the headboard and cradled Bailey to his chest. Her hands trembled as they clutched at his shirt front and her tears grew in frequency until she was sobbing, great wracking sobs that shook her frame.
“Bailey, what’s wrong? Does it hurt that bad?” Brice asked, tenderly brushing the hair from her face with one hand while he held her close with the other. He rubbed her back, kissed her temple and murmured softly to her. “It’s okay, sugar. Everything is just fine. Take a deep breath, baby. Just take a nice deep breath.”
Everything wasn’t fine. Nothing would ever be fine again. Why couldn’t Brice understand that? Why couldn’t he walk away before they lost any more of their hearts to each other?
Struggling to control her emotions and tears, Bailey felt embarrassed at having lost control. It wasn’t like her to fall apart, especially not in front of anyone, particularly not in front of a man she cared more about than anything or anyone else.
Taking a deep breath, then another, she swallowed back the rest of her tears, swiped at her cheeks and leaned back in his arms. Staring into Brice’s face, she drank in the love she could see in his warm brown eyes.
“Thank you,” she whispered when she found her voice.
“Anytime, sugar,” Brice said, continuing to rub her back comfortingly.
“I didn’t mean to fly into pieces all over you,” Bailey said, sounding remorseful as she wiped away the last traces of tears from her cheeks with the sheet, observing the soaked front of Brice’s shirt.
“Seems to me your own room is as good a place as any to fall apart,” Brice said, giving Bailey a jaunty smile. “I’ll always be here to catch you and help put the pieces back together, so you fall apart any time you want.”
“I don’t plan on ever doing that again. And I don’t want you to say things you can’t promise,” Bailey said, shaking her head, which still hurt, although not with the overwhelming pain she’d felt earlier.
“I never make promises I don’t intend to keep, Bailey,” Brice said, growing serious, taking her chin in his hand and forcing her to look in his eyes. “You remember that. If I promise you something, you can bank on it.”
She refused to let him make promises she had no intention of letting him keep. Not willing to discuss her thoughts with Brice, she glanced at the clock and feigned a yawn.
“I think I’ll go back to sleep, now. You don’t have to keep babysitting me. It’s about time for dinner. Why don’t you go eat?” Bailey said, needing some distance from Brice. If he kept holding her so gently and lovingly, she didn’t know how much longer she could keep herself together. She could dream about him holding her this way for a lifetime. But that’s all it could ever be. A dream.
“I don’t want to leave you,” Brice said, kissing her damp cheek.
“Please go eat. I’ll be fine for a while on my own,” Bailey said, scooting away from Brice and sliding down on the bed, her back to the door.
Brice pulled the sheet and a light blanket over her, kissing her on the temple. “Sleep well, sugar.” Leaving the room, Brice closed the door behind him.
Bailey rolled onto her back and once again let the tears flow down her cheeks. Maybe this was a new symptom of her headaches, the feeling of panic and hysteria that was building in her was not something she’d experienced before. She was the one who was always calm, cool, and collected. The sobbing mess of raw emotion that had taken over her body was not like her at all.
In addition to her headache, her chest hurt, burned, along with her stomach. Maybe she was sicker than she thought from her migraine. Or maybe she was heartsick from thoughts of breaking things off with Brice.
Bailey was enjoying her work at the John Day Fossil Beds as much, if not more, than she’d enjoyed working anywhere. The director hinted that a permanent position might open up in the spring if Bailey was interested.
Could she actually be contemplating setting down roots and staying in one place?
Mulling over all the positive reasons to stay in the area, she would have work she found fascinating. She would still be close to her Thompson cousins, whom she was learning to love like brothers and sisters. The open sky and craggy country never failed to amaze and inspire her. Then there was Brice.
If she stayed, Brice would be nearby. Even though she knew she had to let him go, she would at least be able to see him on occasion. He would eventually forget about her, move on and marry some sweet girl, like Sierra, who was bubbly and fun.
The idea of seeing Brice in love with someone else brought another round of tears that soaked the sheet Bailey clutched in her hand. Exhausted, she finally cried herself to sleep.
When Brice returned to the room after dinner Bailey had tear tracks on her cheeks and the damp sheet held tightly in her hand. Shaking his head, he once again brushed the curls back from her face, kissed her forehead and quietly left the room.
Cady and Tess were finishing the last of the dishes when Brice walked back into the kitchen and sank down on a barstool at the counter.
“What’s up, BB?” Tess asked, concerned by the look on Brice’s face. He wasn’t one generally
given to worry, but the way his forehead crinkled and a frown rode his normally smirking lips, she knew something serious was bothering him.
“I’m worried about Bailey,” he said, swiping his hand over his face before pulling his grandpa’s old pocket knife out of his pocket and digging at his fingernails with the sharp blade.
Tess had seen that move thousands of times over the years. Brice did it whenever he was bored, anxious, upset, or trying to think. It was one reason his nails were always so clean and neat.
“What about Bailey?” Cady asked, putting away the last dish while Tess wiped off the counter.
“She woke up crying before dinner. Hysterically,” Brice said, glancing up to see Cady and Tess both looking at him in surprise. It wasn’t like Brice to handle a crying woman without reinforcements. “I held her and let her cry and she seemed better. She said she wanted to sleep and told me to come eat dinner. When I went back in to check on her, I could tell she’d been crying again. Do you think it’s the migraine?”
“I don’t know?” Cady said, looking at Tess, since she was the one with a medical background.
“It could be from the migraine, Brice, but I can’t really say. They affect everyone differently and having never experienced one myself, I don’t know what to tell you. Why don’t you try calling Sierra again?” Tess said, drying her hands before giving Brice a hug around his shoulders.
Brice called Sierra who assured him Bailey never cried and she didn’t think the sobbing had anything to do with her headache. She told Brice to let Bailey rest and she would call later to check on her. Sierra also planned to call Cady and see what her take on the situation was. Sierra knew her sister well enough to know Bailey was falling hard and fast for Brice and it no doubt scared her witless.
“I guess I’ll let her be then, for now,” Brice said as he and Tess went down the mud room steps outside, followed by Cady.
Walking out to Tess’ car, Travis waved from where he worked with Trey out by the barn. Cass ran over with her dog Buddy following close behind.
“Brice!” The little girl called as she ran up to him and patted his legs with her grubby little hands.
“What, kiddo?” Brice asked, picking her up and tossing her in the air.
“Will you dance with me at Uncle Travis’ wedding?” Cass asked between giggles as Brice set her down and tickled her sides.
“I don’t know. I’ve seen your moves on the dance floor and I’m not sure I could keep up,” Brice teased the precocious redhead.
“Please? Just one dance? I promise to let you keep up,” Cass begged, looking up at him with the big baby blue eyes that somehow coerced most of the men in her life to do her bidding. The kid was going to be lethal to the male population when she grew up. With that wild red hair, rosebud mouth and big blue eyes, it would take a stronger man than him to tell her no.
“Okay, just one. But only if you promise not to leave me in your dust,” Brice said, squatting down so he was on eye level with Cass.
“Yippee!” Cass said, throwing her arms around his neck and squeezing before running back to Trey. “I get to dance with Brice at the wedding, Daddy!”
“You just made her day, Brice. Thank you,” Cady said, smiling at him gratefully.
“No problem,” Brice said with a grin. “Just remember not to laugh at me when I’m keeping my promise of dancing with her. I’ve watched her flailing moves before, you know.”
Everyone laughed as Travis walked Tess to the car and held her door for her. He gave her a quick kiss and whispered in her ear before waving at Brice and heading back to the barn.
“Well, Tessie, one more week and you’ll be Mrs. Travis Thompson and move into your own home. What do you think about that?” Brice asked as she drove back to the Running M, thinking about how glad he was for his sister and best friend, but also how much he would miss having her at home.
“I think it’s about the most wonderful thing ever and I can’t wait for the week to fly by,” Tess said with flushed cheeks, although she was grinning broadly.
“In case I haven’t mentioned it before, I’m really happy you and Trav finally got together. You two were always meant to be,” Brice said, squeezing Tess’ hand. “And if he doesn’t treat you like the queen bee you are, you let me know and I’ll set him straight in a hurry.”
“I don’t think you’ll have to worry about that,” Tess said, her hand going to the topaz bee necklace she wore, a gift from Travis that served as a loving reminder that she was his honeybee. “Thank you, BB, for all you did to bring us together. Once we get back from our honeymoon, maybe we can work on getting you and one lovely, albeit distracted paleontologist together.”
“As much as I want that to happen, I just don’t get the idea she’s ready or willing,” Brice said, shaking his head as he looked out the window.
“She’s crazy about you whether she’s willing to admit it or not. Don’t give up hope. You can ride bulls, race cars and skydive without blinking. Surely you can figure out how to make one woman laser-focused on her career fall in love with you.”
“When you put it that way, it sounds like a piece of cake.”
“Pumpkin cake, from what I understand,” Tess said with a laugh. “Maybe this is one princess who prefers the pumpkin to the fancy carriage.”
“Maybe,” Brice agreed.
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Stretching lazily, Bailey opened one eye then the other and realized her headache was gone. She still felt fuzzy-headed and tired, but the fact she could sit up and move her head without wincing was enough to spur her out of bed and into the shower.
Recalling the previous evening when she’d fallen to pieces all over Brice, Bailey resolved herself to breaking things off with him right after the wedding. She didn’t want to cause any trouble this coming week and her telling Brice they couldn’t see each other again would definitely throw everyone off kilter.
Towel drying her hair, wrapped in a big soft robe, she walked back into the bedroom and noticed a little box on the nightstand next to her bed. She recognized it as the box of candy Brice gave her yesterday afternoon. A note was on top of the box, written in his bold scrawl.
Sugar,
Didn’t want you to miss out on your pumpkin sweets.
Feel better soon!
Enjoy and think of me,
Brice
Bailey wondered when Brice brought them in. She knew he didn’t have them when he brought her home yesterday and after that things got a little hazy.
Recalling his help after she’d been ill, she remembered Brice assisting her out of her clothes and tucking her into bed. His hands had been so gentle as he sponged off her face and brushed her hair back from her cheeks. Brice never acted like anything was off when she cried all over him, pulling up the sheet and tenderly smoothing back her hair before leaving her to sleep.
Most men would have left her to her own defenses. Her father certainly wouldn’t have sat by her mother’s bedside ready to provide care if needed.
Brice was someone special and Bailey wondered again how she was going to force herself to let him go.
She had to, though, before things became any more complicated. Before her heart finally spoke what it was whispering in her dreams - that she was undeniably and completely in love with Brice Morgan.
Chapter Thirteen
“I can’t help falling in love with you.”
Elvis Presley
“I’ve never seen the old fort look so good,” Trey said, smiling as he stood with Travis, Trent and the two Morgan brothers outside their boyhood fort, waiting for the wedding to begin.
Constructed by their father, Drew, for his three boys when Travis was barely old enough to walk, the fort had been made to last for generations.
“Dad would be proud today, don’t you think?” Travis said, grinning at Trey and Trent.
“He surely would be, Trav. I know we all are,” Trey said, his bright blue eyes glowing with pride and love. Travis had a hard time when he arrived home in
December from his last tour of duty in Iraq, but thanks to Tess’ loving care and Travis’ willingness to get some help for his PTSD, he was well on the road to recovery. Trey and Trent were both so proud of the strides he had made in the last few months.
Travis stood next to the pastor from their church beneath the arbor that had been temporarily placed in front of the old fort. Green vines were twined throughout the arbor while baskets full of fall flowers and bronze ribbon sat on each side. Brice stood next to Travis as the best man while Trey, Trent and Ben rounded out the groom’s bridal party.
Seated in chairs placed in a half-circle around the fort was a group of about fifty people that included family and ranch hands, as well as a few very close friends.
Tess and Travis wanted a small, intimate wedding followed by a bigger reception. Envisioning just a few people watching them exchange vows, the wedding guest list kept growing until there was now a sizable group gathered for their noon nuptials.
Travis didn’t care if two people or two thousand people watched him declare his love for Tess today. He was much more interested in what would happen after they landed in Las Vegas for their honeymoon. Keeping his hands off his all-too enticing fiancé the past month had stretched both his patience and his resolve, but after today he was free to let loose of the reins and fully enjoy his beautiful bride.
Thoughts of Tess made the wing tip collar of Travis’ crisp white shirt feel like it was about to choke him on this warm, sunny day.The air was sharp and fresh with the hint of ripening apples, settling earth, and spicy autumn riding the breeze.
“Dude, I so don’t want to know what completely inappropriate thoughts you’re having about my sister, but pull it together. This thing’s gonna start in a minute and you need your head on straight,” Brice whispered to Travis, trying not to smirk too broadly.
The Cowboy's Autumn Fall Page 17