He grabbed her arms and pulled her close enough that he could clearly see the flecks of gold around the edges of her brown eyes. “You and your mother planned the whole thing.”
“Take your hands off me,” she whispered, and he immediately let her go. Guilt warred with frustration inside him as she rubbed her hands against her skin where he’d held her.
Even now he wanted to put aside all of his anger and draw her to him, continue to pretend that neither of them had a history that would make what was between them impossible. “How would I have planned for someone to steal from you? I didn’t even know about Derek when I came to Crimson.”
“But you knew that my dad had lots of money. Your mom knows how to pick the ones with deep pockets, right?”
Lucy narrowed her eyes but didn’t contradict him, only fueling his temper.
“Derek warned me you were scheming to get your hands on Garrett’s money. His guess was that your mom set you up to review the books and find fault with his methods.”
“I find fault with him ripping you off,” she insisted.
“You’re lying. This is a con.”
The color drained from her face at his accusation. “How can you believe that after everything that’s happened between us?”
He crossed his arms over his chest and lifted a brow. “What’s really happened, Lucy? Great sex? A couple of canned Christmas adventures? Did you stage the whole thing?”
She opened her mouth to argue, but the doorbell rang at that moment. Caden wanted to ignore it, but Sharpe Ranch didn’t get many unannounced visitors. It could be something important. “We’re not done here,” he said as he turned away and moved toward the front of the house.
“Oh, yes, we are,” she shouted after him.
He opened the door to reveal a tall beach-bum-type man, probably in his midfifties, with sandy blond hair and blue eyes framed by deeply tanned skin. He wore board shorts and a bulky down coat.
“You lost?”
“I’m looking for Reenie,” the man said, trying to peer over Caden’s shoulder. “She’s not returning my calls.”
“There’s no one—”
“Bobby?” Lucy asked from behind him. “What are you doing here?”
“Your mom won’t let up with the divorce papers, Luce. She flew me out to Colorado in the middle of winter, and now she’s blowing me off.”
Caden was so shocked at the man’s words, he automatically took a step back.
Bobby used the opportunity to blow past Caden, heading straight for Lucy, who was now white as a ghost. “I told her the last time she can’t get rid of me that easily.” He wagged an angry finger in her face. “I’m not some old toy to be thrown in the trash.”
“She doesn’t love you, Bobby. Let her go.”
“Not until she makes it worth my while. Her new man might think he can scare me off, but we both know better than that.” He grabbed Lucy by the shoulders. “Talk to her, Luce.”
She tried to shift away but the man held tight. “Don’t touch her,” Caden said.
“Dude, stay out of this. Lucy and I have got some business. Then I’ll be on my way.”
“You’ll be on your way now.” Caden grabbed the man’s arm and twisted it behind his back.
Bobby let out a grunt, but his reflexes were slow, and Caden had him out into the cold morning before he could put up a decent fight.
He slammed shut the door and turned to Lucy. “I suppose you have an explanation for that, too?”
“You have to understand.” She shook her head. “Mom told me she’d handle Bobby.”
“So you knew she was ready to commit bigamy with my father?” The duplicity of that cut deep.
A tear tracked down Lucy’s cheek as she squeezed her eyes shut. “She wouldn’t have let it get that far.”
“Right. It’s all becoming clear now. I’m guessing Bobby is what ruined things with your mom’s last boyfriend. Your mother and her not-so-ex-husband?”
“You have to believe me, Caden. She really loves your dad. I can hear it in her voice. She’s different this time.”
“Give me a break. The only thing that’s different is that I ignored my gut when I should have trusted it. I knew you were trouble from the start. She brought you here to target me.”
“No.” She swiped a hand across her cheek. “She asked me to talk to you, but that was it.”
“The sex was your idea of clinching the deal, then. Should I be flattered?”
“Stop making what we have into something ugly.”
“We don’t have anything.”
She bit down on her lip, then whispered, “I love you, Caden. I know you feel—”
“No more.” He reached her in two long strides but didn’t touch her. Couldn’t touch her without fear he’d lose his mind. Like he’d already lost his heart. “You know nothing about me or how I feel, so let me enlighten you.”
He leaned in and she stumbled back a step. “I don’t feel anything but disgust for you and your mother. You can damn well bet I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure my father sees your mother for the gold-digging grifter she truly is. There will be no marriage. I can promise you that.”
“They’re happy together.”
“Until she breaks his heart.”
“She won’t,” Lucy argued, but there was no heat behind it. “I’ll make sure she doesn’t.”
“And I’m going to make sure you both are out of our lives. For good.”
She closed her eyes as if it was too painful to look at him and, once again, Caden wanted to pull her to him. Instead he stalked out of the house toward the barn, welcoming the cold as it matched his frozen heart. He’d forgotten to grab a coat, so he pulled one from the office and climbed in his truck to check the fence line at the edge of the property.
He wasn’t sure how his life had gone to hell so quickly, but right now he needed to get away from Lucy and the thought of her betrayal.
Even though he’d known better than to open his heart, he’d done it for her. Now his chest ached like it had been cut open. He wished he could remove the throbbing organ and get rid of it forever because he knew it would never mend from this pain.
Chapter Thirteen
“You can stay here as long as you want.”
Lucy sniffed as Erin handed her a bowl of ice cream later that night. She tried to force a smile but the corners of her mouth refused to pull up.
“I don’t want to be in the way, especially during the holidays.” She gestured to the Christmas tree set up in one corner of the cozy family room. “I must be ruining whatever plans you and David had for tonight.”
After the argument with Caden that morning, Lucy had packed her bags and left Sharpe Ranch. How could she possibly face him again knowing what he believed about her?
Maybe she understood his initial reaction to what she’d told him, especially if Derek Lawson had already planted the seeds of doubt in his mind. Lucy often had misgivings about her mother’s motivations regarding men, but there was something about the way she talked about Garrett that made Lucy believe this time it was different. Real.
It had been real for Lucy. That’s why it hurt so badly when Caden hadn’t been willing to even hear her out. Now all she had was a heart that was truly broken.
“The bar is crazy busy with people in town for the holidays, so David and I don’t have plans.” Erin dropped onto the couch next to Lucy. “Today was the last day of school before winter break, so all I want to do is relax and watch sappy Christmas movies. It’s good to have company for the night.”
Lucy let out a watery laugh. “I’m terrible company right now.”
“He’ll come to his senses,” Erin said quietly.
Lucy had wandered in and out of the shops in downtown Crimson mos
t of the afternoon, watching people select last-minute Christmas presents for family and friends. She’d gotten more depressed with each passing minute, hating the fact that she’d opened herself to Caden and actually believed she might finally have a chance at love.
She’d tried calling and texting her mom, but Maureen hadn’t responded to any of her messages. Her makeshift plan had been to check in to one of the local hotels until she’d run into Erin coming out of Life Is Sweet.
Erin had asked the innocuous question “How’s it going,” prompting Lucy to burst into fat, messy tears. Without missing a beat, Erin had wrapped her in a tight hug, then led her through the front of the bakery to the commercial kitchen, where Katie Crawford was just taking a pan of muffins out of one of the big ovens.
The two women had comforted Lucy, plying her with muffins and hot tea until she’d felt marginally better. She’d been through plenty of disappointment in her life and never realized how much having friends to support her could help make the pain more manageable.
“I think he’s already made his decision.” Lucy wiped her nose on her sleeve, not caring that she must look like a total wreck. “I feel like he’s been waiting for a reason to prove to both of us that we could never work.” She took a big bite of ice cream but missed her mouth. The spoonful of chocolate ice cream landed in the middle of her chest then rolled down the front of her gray sweatshirt. “I’m a mess,” she whispered as fresh tears streamed down her cheeks.
“Oh, sweetie.” Erin hurried to the kitchen, grabbed a paper towel from the roll hanging under the counter, then returned and picked the glob of chocolate off Lucy’s stomach. “You’re not a...” She paused, a pained look on her face. “We’ve all been where you are right now.”
Lucy shook her head. “You’ve been red faced and blotchy with no place to go and chocolate all over your shirtfront?”
Katie gave a small laugh. “I didn’t actually mean literally. I was talking about heartbroken.”
“I should have known not to fall for him.” Lucy placed the dish of ice cream on the coffee table, unable to stomach any more sugar. She’d never been much of a drinker, but she could make a career as a professional emotional eater. “He told me the first time we met that he’d hurt me.” She hugged her arms around her waist.
“Caden doesn’t have much experience letting down his defenses. He really cares about you, Lucy.”
“Not anymore.”
“You can’t just turn off emotions like that.”
“He did.”
“I don’t believe it. He’s upset. He blamed himself for Tyson’s death and became too focused on protecting Garrett after the accident. I think he was terrified of losing the only other person who really loves him.”
“I loved him,” Lucy whispered.
Erin arched a brow. “Past tense?”
“I still love him, because I’m the biggest fool on the planet. It doesn’t matter, anyway.”
“Of course it does. Give him time. To admit that Derek is stealing from Sharpe Ranch would mean that Caden failed to protect his dad. I’m not sure he could stand that.”
“But it isn’t his fault.”
“I know that and you know that, but it’s how his mind works. Why do you think he takes in all those unwanted animals? He’s a rescuer. And Garrett is important because of how he once rescued Caden from that horrible foster care situation.”
“You know him well,” Lucy murmured.
Erin shrugged. “I was a shy kid so I did a lot of watching the people around me. I notice things.” She smiled softly. “Caden was always so big and scary in school. I think he liked the reputation he had as a bad boy. He liked people being afraid of him. But when I was a freshman and he was a sophomore, I saw him sneaking behind the bleachers of the football field by himself every day during his lunch period and after school. I might have been shy, but I was always too curious for my own good.”
A laugh bubbled up in Lucy’s throat. “There’s curious and there’s having a death wish. Weren’t you scared of what you’d find?”
Erin leaned in closer. “It was a nest of baby squirrels. I think the mom had died or deserted them, and Caden was hand-feeding them.”
“Why didn’t he just take them home to the ranch?”
“Maybe he thought Garrett wouldn’t let him keep them. But after that, I knew his rough exterior hid a soft heart. I’m sure he thought I was crazy because I smiled and waved at him every chance I got from then on. He’s built a lot of walls around his heart over the years, but the goodness inside him hasn’t changed.”
“The fact that I love him isn’t enough. He doesn’t trust me, and he doesn’t trust my mom.” Lucy shrugged. “Half the time I don’t trust her, so I should have known better than to get involved with him. My mom always manages to land on her feet no matter what life throws at her. I’m more a face-plant-on-the-ground sort of girl.”
She stood and walked to the window, looking out at the quaint neighborhood of historic bungalows decorated with colored lights. This Christmas was supposed to be different, but here she was, alone again.
“He’ll be back to the house by now,” she said, more to herself than Erin. “He must realize I’m gone.”
“Did you leave a note?” Erin asked.
“No. A clean break is better for both of us.”
“It doesn’t have to be a break,” Erin insisted, conviction lacing her gentle tone.
“Yes, it does.” Lucy blinked away another round of tears. No more crying. “Caden made that quite clear, and I’m not going to beg anyone for a second chance.”
If there was one thing she knew how to do, it was move on with her life.
* * *
“Are you drunk?”
“Go away, Chad. What I do on my time is none of your damn business.” Caden went to slam the door in the young ranch hand’s face, but his hand didn’t connect with the wood, so instead he lost his balance and stumbled into the wall.
Chad stepped into the house, shutting the door behind him. “You drink over half that?” he asked, pointing to the bottle of whiskey on the coffee table.
Caden righted himself and tried to focus, but the edges of his vision remained blurry. “Maybe,” he muttered, narrowing his eyes. “You want a glass?”
“Where’s Lucy?” Suspicion laced Chad’s tone.
“You’re asking a crap ton of questions tonight.” Caden walked toward his empty glass of whiskey, cursing under his breath as his shin hit the edge of the table.
“Are you going to answer any of them?”
“Another question.” Caden pointed to the overstuffed leather chair on the opposite side of the coffee table. “Have a seat and a drink.”
Chad whistled under his breath but moved to the wet bar, pulling a shot glass out of the cabinet. Caden handed him the whiskey bottle but made a noise of reproach when Chad poured only a finger of amber liquid into the glass.
“Who’s the party pooper now?” Caden demanded.
“It’s called pacing myself, buddy.” Chad lifted his drink in mock salute. “You should try it.”
Caden grabbed the whiskey bottle and tipped it up to his lips, not bothering with his glass. “I’m celebrating tonight.”
“I can’t wait to hear about the occasion.”
“I dodged a bullet today.” Caden smiled even though it felt like his insides were ripping apart as he said the lie out loud.
“Care to elaborate?”
“I got duped by the wrong kind of woman once already and paid dearly for my mistake. We all did. It cost Tyson his life.”
Chad dropped into the leather chair and ran a hand through his blond hair. “Not this again.”
“You’re right.” Caden pointed a finger at Chad but had a hard time zeroing in on him since the young ranch hand appeared to ha
ve two heads. Maybe Chad was right and Caden should stop drinking. Instead, he took another long pull on the whiskey bottle. “Never again will I allow myself to be led around by the—”
“Where’s Lucy?” Chad asked, sitting forward. “I have a bad feeling you were an idiot today.”
“I’ve been an idiot.” Caden shook his head, then stopped abruptly when the room began to spin. “Today Lucy Renner revealed her true nature to me.”
Chad rolled his eyes. “And how’d she do that?”
“I’m glad you asked.” He rubbed a hand across his jaw but couldn’t exactly feel his face at the moment. “She accused Derek of stealing from Sharpe Ranch.”
He studied Chad for a reaction, but the cowboy just stared at him.
“Did you hear me?”
“I did.” Chad nodded. “I have to say it doesn’t surprise me.”
“Are you joking?” Caden tried to lurch to his feet but landed back on the couch with a thump. “Derek was Tyson’s best friend. My dad trusted him to help with the finances because he’s like family. He’d never take advantage of us that way.”
“Derek was jealous of Tyson. Always had been.”
“Not true,” Caden argued.
“My sister dated Derek in high school. I was a few years younger but I remember her complaining that he was obsessed with beating Tyson at everything.”
“Your sister also dated Tyson,” Caden said quietly.
“Yeah,” he agreed. “After she broke up with Derek. I don’t think that went over too well, either.”
Caden narrowed his eyes. “Are you saying you believe Lucy?”
“Did she have proof?”
“I don’t know,” Caden admitted. “I shut her down before she had a chance to explain much to me.”
“I have an even worse feeling now.” Chad took a deep breath and asked, “How’d you shut her down?”
“I accused her of framing Derek so she and her mother could get to Garrett’s money.”
Chad let out a long groan. “Dude.”
“What?” Caden demanded, suddenly feeling far more sober than he should have based on the amount of alcohol he’d consumed tonight. “Her mother has a history.”
Sleigh Bells in Crimson Page 16