“Except making that video with me in it will destroy Mom and Dad’s privacy.” Letting go of Geena’s hand for the first time since they’d sat down, Matt turned to them. “This place is special. You don’t want reporters knocking on your door, asking invasive questions. You don’t want—”
“Son.” Rosie put her hand on his arm and looked into his eyes. “I’m not sure where you got this notion that privacy is important to us. We used to have up to twelve boys at a time living on this ranch, but after we retired we had more privacy than you could shake a stick at. We hated it.”
“Yeah, we did,” said Herb. “We’ve never worried about opening our home to others. When we ran a foster care facility we had to have the premises inspected regularly. After we got a reputation in the state for our work with kids, we were featured several times on TV.”
“You were? I don’t remember that.”
“They interviewed us when you were all in school. Identifying any of you would have been an invasion of privacy because you were underage.” Herb’s voice gentled. “But now that we’re running the academy, we’re actively seeking publicity, so making a video is a great idea. But you don’t have to be in it if that makes you uncomfortable.”
“But would you even want my name attached to the academy with all the negative stuff that’s been said about me this week?”
Rosie squeezed his hand. “We’re not worried about that. But we’d never want to exploit your fame for our benefit. That’s not—”
“Wait. You’re worried about using me?”
She nodded.
“We’ve all worried about that,” Damon said. “Lots of times when people get famous their relatives take advantage. That’s not who we are.”
Sophie picked that moment to start fussing and Damon stood. “Sorry, everybody. I think Sophie’s done with this Skype thing.”
“Yep, it’s dinnertime for her.” Phil got up, too. “Hate to run. Great seeing you guys!”
Everyone on the screen called out goodbyes, and the baby was distracted by that and stopped fussing long enough for Damon and Phil to make a more leisurely exit. They’d all be seeing each other in August for Cade and Lexi’s wedding, and while that event was being discussed, Matt had a chance to sort through what he’d just been told. Gradually the truth sank in, and as it did, he felt lower than a snake’s belly.
He hadn’t been protecting his family. He’d been protecting himself and his vision of retreating from the craziness of LA to the idyllic privacy of his home at Thunder Mountain. Talk about selfish.
If he’d been thinking about his folks instead of himself, he would have realized that the academy was a business like any other. Geena had tried to tell him he could help out when she’d mentioned the girls who’d stayed in the cabin they’d been cleaning earlier. He hadn’t listened.
Oh, his motives had seemed so noble, but now they looked totally self-serving. He needed to get over himself and concentrate on being an asset to his parents’ business. Teenagers liked movie stars. He’d idolized his share when he’d been that age. He hadn’t cared if they got in a little trouble now and then. It made them human.
But he hadn’t been willing to admit how much he could contribute to the cause because he’d been focused on his need for privacy. And why was that? A cold chill ran down his spine as the answer came to him. His mother. He could hide from her in LA, no problem. Not here.
His gut told him she wasn’t that far away. She’d probably stayed in Wyoming all these years, where she knew the public assistance programs inside out and the cost of living was reasonable. If he made the video tomorrow and left town before it was released, he likely wouldn’t have to deal with her.
But Rosie and Herb might. They could handle her, of course, but they shouldn’t have to. She’d been nasty fifteen years ago and he doubted she’d changed. According to what he’d learned about her personality type, she was probably worse.
“Matt.”
He turned to look at Geena. “It’s okay.” He hated seeing the anxiety in her green eyes, especially knowing he’d been the one who’d caused her to worry. “I’ll do the video. Even more important, I want to.”
She sighed and her shoulders relaxed. “Okay. That’s good.”
“But just so you know, my birth mother could see the video and contact the ranch looking for me. I’ll alert Rosie and Herb.”
“I’m sure they’ll run interference for you.”
“That’s just it. I don’t want them to. I’ll stay an extra two days after the video goes live to give her plenty of time to make the call. If she does, I’ll take it and invite her to the ranch.”
Chapter Sixteen
Geena had no time to respond to that startling announcement because Sophie grew restless again and Damon and Phil left for real. That turned everyone’s attention back to Matt and the prospect of a video being made within the next twenty-four hours.
“I’m absolutely doing it,” he said. “Assuming it’s even possible to get something like that together in a hurry.”
“We mostly need a videographer.” Geena turned in her seat to look at Cade, Lexi, Molly and Ben. “Any ideas?”
“Yes.” Molly fairly crackled with energy. “One of the instructors at the community college, Drew Martinelli, would be perfect if she hasn’t left on vacation yet.” She pulled her phone out of her purse. “I’ll text her now.”
Lexi jumped on the idea. “This is serendipity. Cade and I need someone to video our wedding, so if she works out for this, maybe we could hire her for August.”
“She’d be great.” Molly typed quickly. “I just hope she’s still in town.”
“We need to have a potential script,” Chelsea said from the screen. “Finn has to head back to O’Roarke’s but I can stay on the call if you need my help.”
“Yes, please.” Geena turned to give her a quick smile.
“Whitney and I have to sign off, too,” Ty said. “We’re having dinner with her folks. But if you need anything, holler, and text or email us when it’s up.”
“Will do.” Cade glanced at the screen. “Thanks for being here, both of you. See you in August. Lexi and I are expecting a really big present.”
Ty laughed. “We’re getting you a very expensive kitchen gadget, bro, now that you’re such a gourmet cook.”
“Can’t wait.” Cade grinned. “Hey, thanks for being here.” Cade walked over to the computer. “So, it’s Chelsea and Geena on this project so far. Who else is volunteering to work out a script?”
“I will,” Rosie said.
“I’ll help, too,” Lexi said. “I’ve commissioned a few videos of my riding clinics, so I know a little about the process.”
Geena decided somebody needed to take charge of the project and she was the logical one. “If we have Chelsea, Rosie, Lexi and me, that should be enough.”
“And me,” Matt said. “I’ve had some experience with scripts.”
She gazed at him. “Yes, you have, and thanks for the offer.”
“It’s the least I can do.”
His smile tugged at her heart, but now wasn’t the time for a private conversation about how he was handling this turn of events.
“There’s Drew.” Molly grabbed her phone and glanced at the incoming text. “She’s available all day tomorrow.”
“Excellent.” Geena took that as a positive sign that the video was meant to be. “I know this is a lot to ask, but if she can show up before dawn, she’ll get some amazing footage.”
“Let me see what she says.” Molly typed in the request and waited. “Yes! In fact, she’d thought of that herself. She’ll be here before five tomorrow morning.”
“Good. Thank you, Molly. That’s huge.”
“Call if you need anything else.” Molly left with Ben.
“Lo
oks as if you have everything under control,” Cade said. “I leave the project in your capable hands.” He glanced at Lexi. “See you at home.”
“You will. Fabulous job, cowboy.”
“Thanks.” He touched the brim of his hat and left with Herb.
“Okay, then,” Chelsea said. “Where do we start?”
Geena knew where that should be. She just didn’t think the man sitting beside her would go for it. “The video will publicize the academy, but let’s get real. Matt’s our biggest draw. We should start the video with him.” She glanced in his direction. “Does that work for you?”
He met her gaze with surprising calmness. “Yes, it does. I should probably narrate the thing. Since we have the videographer committed to arriving before dawn, the script should begin with an exterior shot as the sun’s coming up. Then pan to the barn, tight focus on the barn door and head inside to where I’m doing something.”
“Something manly,” Chelsea said, as computer keys clicked. “Like pitching clean hay into a stall. Keep talking. I’m writing all this down.”
“Are the horses out or in?” Lexi moved up to the front row and sat next to Geena.
“Out in the pasture,” Geena said. “More dramatic. It would be great if we could get them to race around a little.”
“I have an idea.” Matt leaned forward as if he actually might be enjoying the process. “Put Cade out with the horses. Have him grab a handful of mane and swing up bareback on Hematite. That’s always a crowd pleaser. Once he gets Hematite moving, Linus will follow and the others might, too.”
“I can just picture it.” Rosie’s face glowed. “It’ll be wonderful. Oh, I know what else we need in this video! We could use some roof repair on Cabin Three. Let’s get Damon up there and film him doing it.”
“Nice.” Chelsea kept typing. “Stetson, snug T-shirt, jeans and a tool belt. Damon rocks that look.”
“Before we go any further, I want to say something else.” Rosie looked around at the group. “Phil deserves to be up on that roof as much as Damon. Lexi, you have every right to ride bareback along with Cade. I don’t mean to be sexist, but—”
“The video needs to be about the brotherhood,” Lexi said. “I figured that out right away. We know what we want to accomplish and putting great-looking cowboys in each shot is the way to go.”
Geena nodded. “It is. We’ll want a scene with Rosie and Herb, but other than that, it’s all about the Thunder Mountain Brotherhood.” Geena glanced over at Matt. “Are you comfortable talking about that connection?”
“You bet. Until Ty mentioned it, I never considered that our story might help other foster kids. And I should have. I wish that I’d—”
“Don’t be too hard on yourself,” Geena said. “We’ve all known celebrities who milked their tragic past to get attention. You didn’t want to be that person.”
He gave her a distracted smile. “Thanks.”
“That’s what will be so great about this video,” Chelsea said. “We have a talented actor narrating it. I predict this thing will go viral in no time.”
“Hallelujah!” Rosie threw both hands in the air. “I’ve always wanted a viral video!”
“Me, too.” Chelsea said. “We need to nail down the rest of the scenes so we can turn Matt and Geena loose on the dialogue. I figure you two are the movie people, so you’re the logical ones to handle it.”
Matt nodded. “No problem.”
After everyone agreed on the order of scenes, Chelsea emailed her notes to Geena and signed off.
Lexi glanced at Geena and Matt. “I’ll leave you to it. Writing dialogue is so not my area.”
“Not mine, either,” Rosie said. “I’ll rustle up your dinner and bring it in here so you can keep working.”
After Rosie walked out the door, Geena gazed at Matt. She didn’t have the words to express her admiration or her frustration. The two emotions were hopelessly tangled up in her mind, so instead of saying anything, she grabbed him and kissed him with enough force to knock off his hat.
He obviously wasn’t expecting it and he froze.
Lifting her mouth a fraction of an inch, she took a quick breath. “Steam up my glasses, damn it. You know you want to.”
With a groan, he pulled her close and his mouth came down on hers.
Oh, yes. She surrendered completely to the pleasure of kissing Matt. This was what he should be doing instead of worrying about whether he was the right guy for her. How could he doubt it when these moments of shared passion were so amazing?
Breathing unevenly, he pulled back. “We have to stop.”
“I know. Rosie will—”
“Be here any minute.” And he recaptured her mouth.
So sweet. So hot. She couldn’t imagine living without his kiss.
He lifted his head again. “Enough.” Blowing out a breath, he released her and stood. “I told myself I wouldn’t do this.”
“You didn’t. I did.” She gulped for air. “Not your fault.”
“I could have said no.” He located his hat on the floor and picked it up.
She smiled as she took off her glasses and polished them on her shirt. “I don’t think so. I’m irresistible.”
“Yes, ma’am, you sure as hell are.” He ran his fingers through his hair and took a deep breath. “Before Rosie comes back, I need to clarify something I said earlier. Although I’m staying a couple more days, I don’t expect you to.”
“If you’re staying, I’m staying.”
He shook his head. “Let me put it another way. I’d rather you didn’t.”
Wow, that hurt. She was prepared to stick by him during a difficult time and he wanted her gone. She struggled to regain her composure. “Assuming your birth mother actually shows up, I won’t be shocked by her, if that’s what you’re worried about. I have a fair idea of what to expect.”
“How can you, when I don’t? She was pretty messed up the last time I saw her. If she decides to come here, there’s no telling what she’ll be like. You don’t need to experience that.”
“What if—” She paused to clear her throat. “What if I want to?”
“Geena, I’m asking you to head back to LA.” He put on his hat and tugged down the brim. “Please.”
“Why?”
His voice was tight. “Maybe I should let you stay so you can see where I came from.”
She clutched her denim-clad knees to keep her hands from shaking. “I know where you came from and it doesn’t matter. No, I take that back. It does matter. Knowing your background makes me admire you that much more.”
“Admire me? You’ve got to be kidding.”
“Of course I admire you! You could have let your past define you. Instead, you set an ambitious goal and achieved it.”
“All because my past does define me. Haven’t you been paying attention? I’m as selfish as my mother!”
She gasped. “You are not! How can you say such a thing?”
“Look at the evidence.” His bitter tone sent a chill through her. “I insisted that Rosie and Herb needed privacy when I really wanted privacy for me. I rejected your idea that I could help publicize the academy because it would louse up my precious retreat plans. It’s always been about my needs, not theirs.”
She had trouble breathing, but she forced the words out as best she could. “Matt, it happens to everyone. We think we’re doing something noble and it turns out our motives were self-serving. But you figured it out and now you’re doing the right thing.”
“Or maybe I see a way to save my own hide and I’m taking it.”
“No! You see a way to set everything right. You benefit and the academy benefits. It’s a win–win!”
“Even if it turns out that way, and I hope it does, that doesn’t change anything. I clearly have the abi
lity to block out everything except what I want. I lived with that woman for twelve years. I’ve kidded myself that I escaped who and what she was, but—”
“I guarantee that you have.”
His gaze was shuttered. Not completely closed, yet, but it wouldn’t take much for the wall to come up. “I wish I could believe that, but I can’t.”
“Then why wait for your mother? What’s in it for you? If she does come here, I doubt it will be pleasant. You could leave before the video release and lock her out of your life forever. You could surround yourself with enough security that she’d never get through.”
He looked as if he wanted to pace but the room was cluttered with furniture. He turned a chair backward and straddled it so he was facing her. “Once again, selfish motives. I told myself I had to stay and protect Rosie and Herb from having to deal with her, but that’s not the real reason.”
“Why can’t it be one of the reasons? I’m sure they’d appreciate having you here if she comes calling.”
“They probably would, but my main reason for staying has nothing to do with them. I want to find out if there’s any trace of regret for what she did. But more than that, I need to know if I’ll look at her and see myself.”
“There’s bound to be some resemblance, Matt. She gave birth to you.”
“That’s not what I mean.”
“I know. I’ve done the same with my mother. I like to think I’ve taken after my father.” Then she wished she hadn’t said it. Matt couldn’t use that strategy.
“Doesn’t apply.” His expression gave nothing away. The wall had come up.
“Dinner’s served!” Rosie came bustling in with Herb right behind her. Both were carrying trays. Matt jumped up immediately to help and Geena followed suit.
As they cleared a place on the desk to set the plates of food and bottles of O’Roarke’s Pale Ale, Rosie’s and Herb’s forced cheer suggested that they’d heard at least part of the argument. The concern in Rosie’s eyes as she glanced at Matt confirmed it.
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