The One (Book 1, of The Wilde Brothers, A Contemporary Western Romance)

by Eckhart, Lorhainne

  “Ryan, are you kidding me?” Joe barked. “I would choose you over any woman. I’ll stay alone forever if that’s what you want. You’re more important to me. How could you even think that?”

  Margaret stepped back and shoved her hands in her pockets. She wouldn’t look at him.

  Ryan turned his head toward his dad, his pillow rustling. He frowned as if trying to figure out what his dad was saying. “You really mean it?” he said.

  Joe looked at Margaret again and had a sinking feeling she believed he’d just tossed her to the curb. In fact, that was exactly what he had just done, and he couldn’t seem to get out from under how badly he was messing this up.

  “Ryan, listen, what I really want you to know…”

  “Dad, you didn’t mean it, did you?” Ryan said. His son really didn’t believe in him.

  Joe leaned over, setting his hand on the pillow beside him. “You listen to me. I meant it. If I date again, you’ll get a say. You want me alone, you just say so.”

  Ryan firmed his lips and said, “Dad, do you think for a while you could stay off all those dating sites, take your profile down, and not date anyone?”

  Joe watched the uncertainty in his son’s eyes and knew this would be a make-or-break moment with him. He loved him, and all the happiness he had felt moments ago with Margaret seemed to slip through his fingers as if everything had suddenly turned to dust.

  When he looked up, Margaret had stepped away and was looking out the window of the hospital room as if lost in thought. He also knew he couldn’t take one step toward her or touch her right now. His brother stood at the foot of the bed, looking from Margaret to him and back to Ryan, and he opened his mouth as if to say something but didn’t.

  “Ryan, I just wanted to come by and see how you are,” Margaret said. “I want you to get some rest. I’ll leave you and your dad here to spend time together. Remember what I said about Storm. You need to really think about whether you’re up to the challenge with him. He’s not an easy horse, and he’ll never be easy.”

  “But you’ll help me, right? You’re still going to work with Storm, aren’t you?” Ryan asked, sounding so hopeful.

  “Ryan, when you get out of here and you’re feeling better, we’ll talk more about that,” she said. She patted his arm, and with the way she looked down on him in those few seconds, Joe wondered how he’d missed her feelings for his son. The woman showed every emotion on her face, in her eyes, and she really cared for Ryan. “I’m going to go,” she said.

  “Are you going to come back?” Ryan asked.

  Joe watched her response and could see the walls she had continually stuck up around herself. They were stronger than ever, but this was the first time they were up for Ryan. He wondered if his son picked up on it, too.

  “I have things to do, Ryan, a lot of messes to clean up after looking for you. You just rest. I’ll see you soon,” she said. She stepped around Logan, and he darted a glance at her. Joe started after her, but she just shook her head. “No, Joe, stay. I can find my own way home.”

  “I’ll take you home,” Logan piped up, holding out his hand to Joe. “Keys,” he said, and the look he gave him said loud and clear that he was an idiot and his brother had a few choice words for him. Joe watched as his brother followed the one woman he could never have out the door.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  It had been three weeks since Ryan’s accident. For the past week, Ryan had bounced back until he was almost his old self. Today was the first day he returned to school. Logan had stayed on and spent time with Ryan, helping Joe mill wood. He had even gone to get the horses from Margaret without one word. Joe was grateful that Logan hadn’t brought up Margaret even after driving her home.

  Joe had only asked once about Margaret when Logan came back to the hospital that morning. Logan had given him a hard look and said, “She’s a strong woman. She’s home safe. Leave her alone. You made your choice, and I think you’ve done enough.”

  And he had, so he left her alone, but every night and every moment during the day, Margaret invaded his thoughts, leaving him short tempered and miserable.

  Joe was driving home after taking Ryan to school and spending half an hour talking with his teachers, as well as the kids who were interested in the coolness of the helicopter rescue and Ryan’s near-death experience. Of course, Ryan milked the drama for all it was worth.

  Every time Joe drove past the entrance to Margaret’s spread, he suffered from an unbearable ache. He couldn’t put into words that hollowed-out feeling that left him weak, a feeling of loss so deep it took everything he had to get up in the morning, the same feeling he’d had after losing Evie.

  A red and white sign beckoned at the side of her driveway: “For sale.” Joe stomped on the brake, the back end of the truck skidding sideways, and he just about hit the ditch. Of every imaginable scenario that had gone through his mind, this wasn’t one of them.

  He rested his hand over his mouth, his truck still idling. He shut his eyes for a second, trying to decide what to do. It was probably best to just go home. To hell with her. This hurt worse than anything, even though he realized she was probably running again. Wasn’t that what she did so well?

  He started down her driveway. The entire time, that little voice in his head said, This is a bad idea. He kept going, his palms sweating as he wondered what he would say when he saw her. I’m sorry? Geez, that somehow felt so meaningless. All those thoughts seemed to vanish when he saw his brother’s Jeep. Margaret set her hand over her eyes to cut the glare from the sun and see who was coming, and Logan never took his eyes from Joe as he brought his truck within inches of his brother before stopping. Anyone else would have dived out of the way. Even Margaret was looking a little freaked out by how close he had come to hitting his brother. Joe was out of his vehicle, and Logan did nothing but raise his eyebrows and say, “Are you lost?”

  He was a man on the edge, and, for the first time, he felt his brother taunting him. Was he really making moves on Margaret, seriously? He walked up to his brother and shoved him, and Logan lost his balance and stumbled back.

  “Hey, what’s the matter with you, Joe?” Margaret shouted as she tried to put herself between the brothers.

  Logan set his hands on her shoulders and said, “Margaret, don’t get in the middle of this.”

  “The hell I won’t. This is my place. If you two want to behave like two imbeciles, then take it somewhere else. Joe, why are you here?” she snapped, stepping away when he went to touch her.

  Logan moved his hand in front of Margaret and then took a step, and Joe didn’t miss the purely protective move from a would-be suitor. He wanted to deck him. What the hell was he doing, moving in on Margaret?

  “Hey!” Margaret shouted from behind him. “Logan, I can take care of myself. Joe, why are you here?”

  He fisted his hands and pumped them once, twice. He watched Logan, wondering when his brother had become such a prick. He finally glanced at Margaret, who was watching him with a range of emotions but only one he recognized: hurt.

  “I saw your for-sale sign. What are you doing, Margaret? Your grandfather, your family is buried here, right over there.” He jabbed his arm out, because it was the only excuse he could think of for her not to sell.

  She didn’t flinch when she said, “You have to learn when you’re done, and I think it’s time to move on. I need a fresh start. I can’t hide out here. I have no reason to stay anymore.” She appeared so sad, and she worked her jaw before asking, “How’s Ryan?”

  “He’s been asking why you haven’t come to see him, and he’s anxious about Storm. He wants to start working with him again. He thinks you’re going to help him.” Joe added that last bit more for him, because he wanted Margaret in his life. The fact was that Ryan had asked Joe if he’d drive him to Margaret’s, and Joe had made a pile of excuses every day because he couldn’t face Margaret after what he’d done. Ryan didn’t know what had happened between him and Margaret and how clos
e they really were. Joe couldn’t hide his feelings, and he was pretty sure Ryan would have picked up on the unease between them.

  “Yes, Logan told me, and I’m going to tell you the same thing I told Logan: I can’t help with Storm. You’re going to have to find someone else. I’ve done all I can for him, and considering…” She coughed, but he could tell it was a pathetic cover for her emotions. He realized what she had said about Logan, and it confused him. Why would Logan try to get her to work with Storm?

  “Look, Margaret, can I talk to you alone?” he said.

  She started shaking her head, and her face was so tight he could tell she was holding herself together. Logan wasn’t moving. In fact, he crossed his arms and looked toward her. “Margaret, just say the word and I’ll have him leave,” he said.

  “What is your problem, Logan? Seriously, she’s not your woman,” Joe barked.

  “And she’s not yours, either. You made sure of that, so maybe you should just move on.” Logan took a step toward Joe, and Margaret slapped a hand on both their chests.

  “Joe, I’ll give you five minutes,” she snapped. “Logan, please excuse us.”

  Just feeling the warmth of her hand on his chest had him wanting to pull her against him.

  Logan jabbed a finger his way in warning and stepped back, limping a couple steps toward the barn before pausing to give Joe another warning look and stepping inside.

  Margaret looked anywhere but at him. She was finally forced to look his way as the silence became unbearable between them. He went to set his hand on her shoulder, but she sidestepped, deliberately moving out of reach. “Don’t, please,” she said.

  “Look, I realize saying I’m sorry doesn’t make up for what I did. I just didn’t feel I had a choice. Maybe with time…”

  “Stop right there, Joe. Ryan has to be your first priority. You screwed up once already. You can’t do it again, and I knew someone was going to get hurt. I just never imagined it would turn out like this.”

  “Please don’t sell and leave,” Joe pleaded.

  She looked him square in the eye. “I have to. I can’t stay here. You’re too much of a reminder of what I can’t have, and it’s not just Ryan. You don’t really trust me. After all, what did you say about fighting with my mother over money when my grandfather wasn’t even in the ground yet?”

  He looked away and blinked, fighting to hold back his emotions. He still couldn’t believe he’d said that. “I’m sorry, Margaret. When I heard you that day, fighting with your mother…”

  “Well, you didn’t stick around long enough to hear everything. If you really knew me, you’d know it was never about the money. Mom wanted to sell this, and she was going to contest the will. She figured it should all go to her, being the only daughter, but Granddad knew this place meant nothing to Mom—it never did. That was why he left it to me, because Mom wouldn’t have just sold it, she’d have subdivided all this land and sold it off piece by piece, whatever it took to destroy it. Deep down, she hated her father. I just never knew how much until the day of his funeral, when she told me her plans. I guess she never expected me to stand up to her like I did, but then, she doesn’t really know me. For her, it was about the money, but for me it was about keeping this land intact.” She let out a slow breath and looked around, squinting.

  “If that’s the truth, why are you selling now?” he asked.

  “Because of you,” she said. “I’ll only let it go on the condition the buyer won’t subdivide.”

  “You can’t guarantee that,” he argued.

  “Well, actually, yes, I can. I’ve already filed a covenant on this land.”

  He didn’t want this to be it. He watched this woman whom he had misjudged so badly. He didn’t think he could take losing her. “Is there any chance you could be pregnant?” he said. He prayed, wanting it and worrying about it at the same time.

  She stared at him for the longest time and said, “Good news, Joe: I’m not.” She looked away and then cleared her throat. “Goodbye,” she said, starting to walk away.

  This time, he let her.

  ****

  Margaret went around the side of the house and pressed her back against the rough wood, listening to Joe’s truck pull away. She couldn’t hold back the tears. She’d cried into her pillow every night since walking out of Ryan’s hospital room. She couldn’t believe how easily Joe had let her go, though she knew why he had done it, and she understood. She tried telling that to her heart, which couldn’t understand why this man wasn’t kicking down the door and coming for her. She wanted a different outcome. She wanted Joe, and to be a mother to Ryan, but maybe too much had happened, and Ryan needed his dad all to himself for a while.

  The fact was that Margaret didn’t have a clue whether she was pregnant or not. It was too early, but she prayed every night for at least that one small gift. If she was, she’d start over someplace new, just her and her child, because she didn’t know whether she’d ever be able to take another chance on love. She was unlucky, for sure. When she finally realized she had found the one she’d been looking for her whole life, instead of everything working out, their love story had been reminiscent of all the great love stories throughout history, ending in heartache and tragedy.

  A hand touched her shoulder, and she jumped and set her arm over her eyes, not wanting Logan to see her like this. The man didn’t give her a chance to push him away, as he slid his arm around her and pulled her into a great big hug. He held her shoulders while she sobbed.

  “Margaret, I love my brother, but sometimes he can be a misguided fool,” Logan said as he rubbed her back. “Shh, it’ll be all right.”

  She nodded, but as she gripped Logan’s shirt and struggled through her tears, she wondered how it would ever be all right again.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Joe hadn’t said one word on the drive home with Ryan, and when they drove past Margaret’s and he saw the for-sale sign., he leaned forward and asked in a panicky voice, “Dad, is Margaret selling?”

  “Yeah” was all he could manage to say as he narrowed his eyes and kept driving past.

  When he pulled in at home, Logan was walking out of the house with his duffle bag over his shoulder, tossing it in the back of his Jeep.

  “Uncle Logan, are you leaving?” Ryan shouted. He started toward his uncle, moving a lot faster than he had all week.

  Logan set his hand on Ryan’s shoulder and glanced over and up at Joe. “Yeah, I thought I better, before I wear out my welcome here. Besides, you and your dad got some things you need to sort out and work through. You don’t need me hanging around.” Logan glanced over at Joe again.

  “Uncle Logan, why is everyone leaving? Even Margaret has a for-sale sign up.”

  Logan didn’t take his eyes off Joe when he answered. “Sometimes, a person has to learn when it’s time to move on. I’ve got my own life to get back to, and Margaret…well, she feels it’s something she has to do.”

  “But I don’t want Margaret to go!” Ryan said. “I guess I kind of hoped Dad would like her as much as I do. I thought he’d take a liking to her, and maybe one day he’d marry her. She’s my friend. She listens to me.”

  Joe was still stuck on the part where Ryan had said he should marry Margaret. His ears were ringing, and he wondered for a moment what kind of stupid look was on his face when his brother started laughing at him.

  Logan turned Ryan around to face him. “Ryan, you need to tell your dad exactly what you just told me.”

  The look on Ryan’s face was priceless. “Dad, what’s wrong with you? You’ve got a weird look on your face.”

  “Ryan, are you telling me that if I told you Margaret and I were dating and I’d like to marry her, you’d be happy?”

  Ryan looked back at his uncle as if he couldn’t understand what his dad was asking. “Well, yeah. I mean, if you’d really like to marry Margaret, I think it would be kind of cool.” Ryan jammed his hands in his pockets and shrugged in his awkward teenage way.
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br />   “Ryan, in the hospital you said you didn’t want me dating anyone,” Joe said accusingly.

  Ryan frowned. “No, I said I didn’t want you dating Sara or doing that online dating anymore,” he said, as if his meaning had been obvious. Then he got a hopeful look on his face. “Dad, are you going to marry Margaret?”

  Logan rolled his eyes and shook his head. For the first time, Joe wondered how in the hell he was going to fix this. “That’s the plan, if I didn’t screw this up too bad,” he replied. He looked to Logan. “Any ideas?”

  “Yeah, try apologizing,” Logan quipped. “Then, when that doesn’t work, beg.”

  Joe jumped in his truck and started it, rolling down his window and leaning out. “Hey, Logan, can you stay a bit?”

  Logan just waved his hand and said, “Go, get your girl.” He set his hand on Ryan’s shoulder, and Joe hoped that when he got to Margaret, it wouldn’t be too late.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Margaret was just going into the house after tossing a fleck of hay to Angel when she heard the truck coming up her driveway, and not just any truck—Joe’s truck.

  After the roller coaster he’d put her through, she didn’t think she could be nice anymore. Joe had always been really good at schmoozing, telling stories, and working things in his favor. Whatever he wanted now, she was done hearing it. The fact was that all she had ever wanted was that fairytale ending, to have it all. Wasn’t that what every girl wanted? But Joe had proven time and again that he was no good, and definitely no good for her.

  When he got out of his truck, he dug into each step as he walked right toward her. Margaret skidded down the stairs and started to move sideways. The look in his eyes as he stalked her was like that of a predatory cat. Her heart was pounding the closer he got, and she looked right and then left, with nowhere to run. Then he was on her just as she took that first step to bolt, tossing her over his shoulders and setting his hand on her rump. He was walking her back to his truck when her good sense finally kicked in.