by Hope Moore
“Yes, it was. It was beautiful.”
“Yes, it was.” They stared at each other and then he took a step toward her. “We did well, though. We told them what they wanted to hear and I hope I held up my end of the bargain.”
Her heart thundered. She told herself to turn and go to her room now. Nothing good could come of this. “You did.”
He took another step toward her. Then his hands were dipped into her hair and he stared down at her as he held her face in his hands. “You were so beautiful tonight. And everyone loved you.”
What was she supposed to say to that? She swallowed hard and didn’t say anything. She didn’t know what to say. Could he hear her heart thundering?
And then he bent his head and he kissed her. The next thing she knew, her arms were around him again and they were kissing. When he suddenly broke the kiss and stepped back from her, she regretfully let him go. She had known that’s what would happen. Known he would come to reality. She was prepared.
“Goodnight, Wade.” She turned and hurried through the kitchen door into the living space to the hallway, to the landing, up the stairs, down the hall and through her door, closing it quickly behind her. She never looked back.
Chapter Fifteen
Wade rode out early the next morning to work with the men.
She was glad for the space and used it to call Ginny.
“Ginny, can you get away and come spend a couple of days with me?” Allie clutched the phone between her hands as she stared out the window of her bedroom.
“What’s wrong? You sound very upset.” Ginny was tapping her fingernails on the table and Allie could hear it over the phone. Ginny did that when she was getting upset or angry.
Allie tried to control the tremor in her voice. She’d barely slept all night, reliving the moments of Wade kissing her. And the moments that they’d shared, smiling and hugging and pretending at the wedding reception. How had she let herself, in those few hours, fall into a rabbit hole of believing that this was possible? “I’m fine. It’s just hit me that I’m in over my head.”
“I knew you were going to get hurt.”
“I know you did. But Ginny, he’s wonderful. I didn’t really understand how wonderful.”
Ginny growled on the other end of the line. “And Mr. Wonderful is going to break my girl’s heart. Allie, listen to me—pull back, right now. Don’t let your heart get involved any more. That cowboy told you clearly this would be for three months and then he was going to walk away. I just knew when I saw that look in your eye last week that this was happening.”
Allie could see Ginny about to have a fit on the other end of the line. She was probably up pacing now because her fingers were no longer tapping on the table. She’d invited Ginny in hopes that she would be able to come to the wedding reception, but Ginny hadn’t been able to get away. She was heavily involved in the boutique winery her parents owned. Ginny loved the vineyard. She worked hard growing those grapes to perfection and making their Texas wine the best it could be. They had a very good reputation. “I know you said you couldn’t get away for the party last night but this week maybe? They’re getting Mama settled later this week but I could really use you to hang out with this week.”
“Nope. I’m packing as we speak. My business can wait a day. Besides, Dad’s been a little weird lately and he’s driving me crazy. I think I need a break from him. I’m not sure what has gotten into him. He’s going over the books with a fine-tooth comb. Double-checking my work is not something I like or appreciate. Even if it is his business for now. But this is about you, and I need to come pay this cowboy billionaire, Mr. Moneybags, a visit. And pull you off the ledge. There hasn’t been any…”
“No. But he kissed me. And I kissed him. And Ginny, it was magical. I’ve never ever felt anything like it before. It’s like there’s a connection.”
“Stop. Stop it right now. There’s no connection—no connection. There’s a disconnection in less than two months now, remember? Disconnect. Disconnect.”
Allie dropped her forehead to her palm and stared at the table. “Yes, you’re right. I know, I know. But I’m in trouble, Ginny. I need you to come help me get my heart lassoed and stuffed back in that iron pen so it can’t get out again.”
“Well, you just hang on. I’m on my way. Text me the address and I’ll plug it into my GPS. I’ll get there about as fast as I can drive. Daddy will understand. I think he will be relieved, actually.”
“I love you, Ginny. Ginny to my rescue, as always.” She wished she hadn’t had to say that. Ginny had always told her she was too vulnerable and she was. It was just so aggravating she wanted to kick something, but she would probably just break her toe if she did. “I can’t wait to see you.”
After they hung up, she sent the address and looked at the time. It would be late, maybe even dark before she got here. She was so glad Nelda wasn’t around and that Wade hadn’t made it in from working yet either. She hadn’t needed to run into him today. She needed space.
Space to get back on track and find her way back from the ledge, as Ginny so accurately called the edge of disaster she was balanced on so precariously.
It was late in the afternoon when Wade finally got up the nerve to go back home. He was tired and dusty, having ridden out to work fence with some of his men. Nothing better than digging post holes to make a guy forget something he wished he hadn’t done and give him time to think about it and what he could do about it. The blazing hot sun had beat down on him and he was sweating like a hog. He smelled awful by the time he strode into the kitchen. Being so dirty would be a good excuse not to linger when he ran into Allie. He was walking through the living room when he spotted her sitting over in the corner with a book in her hand, looking out the window.
She would’ve been able to see him riding up. He paused; he yanked his dusty hat off his head and held it between his hands. His heart had kicked up when she looked at him. And Lord help him, he wanted to stride across that room and pull her up out of that seat and kiss her.
He was in so much stinking trouble.
How had this happened? “I had to go work fence this morning. Are you doing okay?”
She closed the book and nodded.
He felt guilty because he knew she knew he was using an excuse. Since when did he turn into a coward?
“I hope you got the fence built really well. Looked like you worked hard enough.”
“Yeah, we did.”
“Um, I think we need to talk.” She stood.
“You’re probably right. Look, about last night. I probably shouldn’t have kissed you like that.”
“No, don’t apologize. I’m the one who goaded you into pretending that this was a real marriage. And that’s all you were doing. And I don’t know…somewhere along the way, maybe we got carried away. But I just need you to know that I understand that nothing else is going to come of that. There’s no need for you to feel awkward. I know nothing has changed. Don’t worry.”
He opened his mouth to deny what she was saying, that he wasn’t worried about it and that he hadn’t been pretending. But that would not do. He had gotten so mixed up and he wasn’t a man who got mixed up very often. His granddaddy taught him that. “You make your mind up about what you want and you go get it. But be a man of your word.” That was how he lived until now and he had said at three months, it was done and he’d walk away. They were in this for only one reason, and yet, he really wasn’t sure he could walk away—or whether he wanted to walk away.
But could he change his mind? He halted his thoughts. “We’ll get this figured out. But I understand that it was just pretend.”
She nodded. “I mean, you know, I’m getting what I wanted and my mother is getting the best care. I guess at the end of the three months, I got plans. I’m going to go on—I’m going to open my florist shop again as soon as Mama is out of the coma and I get her out of the rehab center and back home recuperating.”
“Oh, that sounds good.”
&
nbsp; “Yes, thanks to our agreement. I’ve invited Ginny down for a few days. She’ll be here in the next hour. I hope you don’t mind. I just wanted to warn you. We’re going to spend some time tomorrow looking at the ranch. And I think it will be good. We will go and check out the rehab center where they’ll be bringing my mother also.”
Both relief and dread filled him. It would be good for her to have her friend here and take some pressure off both of them. And he also knew he was going to get an earful from Ginny. Ginny was going to remind him of exactly what he had forgotten last night. And she was probably bringing Loretta to remind him how vulnerable Allie could be. After all, she was still mourning the death of her daddy, and then there was her mother.
“I’m glad she’s coming.” Allie obviously needed to see her. “I’ll do whatever I can to help y’all have a good visit. Is she going to stay a few days? She’s very welcome to stay as long as she wants.”
“She’s going to stay for just probably a couple days. I don’t think she can stay away from their boutique winery for too long.”
He laughed. She was really cute when she got flustered. “While she’s here, we should drive over and let me show y’all our vineyard. Todd runs the business. We make grape jelly and wine. Ginny’s been in the wine business for a long time?”
“Yes, she has, and she loves it. She lives and breathes grapes.”
“I’m surprised that she does this.”
“She loves it and she will love visiting yours. And I know that you don’t get along with her well, so thank you for being so understanding.”
“I don’t dislike Ginny. I barely know her. But what I do know is you love her and she is in your corner one hundred percent. And I like that about her. She’s looking out for you.”
“Wade, I don’t mind telling you I get irritated sometimes about everyone looking out for me. I am a grown woman. She’s my friend and I need her support as a friend but I can look out for myself. Yes, I am a little bit vulnerable—she keeps drilling that into me. I mean, I have been through a lot this last little while but I’m managing.” Her voice broke and she struggled; he could see her struggling.
His heart ached for her. He’d been there once when his own parents had died. And plus, instead of helping her, he’d added to her stress last night. “I remember what you’re going through. I was younger than you when I lost my mom and dad, and my granddaddy was still making decisions for me back then, so I had my grief. But I didn’t have a whole world of decisions to make sitting on my shoulders. And though Granddaddy died four months ago, it’s different. You’re helping me with that so I’ll survive, but that’s not the kind of pressure that you’re under. Even if I had lost this ranch, I wouldn’t have been devastated financially. You have been so strong, trying to deal with everything on your own. The grief, the worry about your mama, working yourself to the bone just trying to stay afloat. And then you having lost your own business on top of that. Nope, what we have been going through doesn’t compare to each other. It’s going to get better for you, and I hope that what we’ve done will help. But I feel like I took advantage of you last night.”
“No, you didn’t.” She took a few steps toward him.
He held up his hand. “You probably don’t want to get too close to me. I’ve sweated—it was hot out there today.”
Her smile surprised him and joy bloomed inside him just looking at her. “I’m going to go take a shower. But I’m glad your friend’s coming. And I’ll do whatever I can to help you have a good time. But you rest easy. We’ve got that wedding reception thing behind us and we’re going to go back to putting some space between us. I won’t be kissing you like that again, so rest easy.”
She nodded and he thought she looked sad.
Then she took a step back. “I think you’re right.”
He paused at the base of the steps. “I’m going to go work in my office after dinner.”
“Okay then. I made some King Ranch Chicken. It’s warming in the oven.”
“Sounds good.”
“Just get what you want. I’m going to read in my room until Ginny gets here.”
“Okay.” They sounded like strangers. He didn’t like it but turned and walked away. He had never felt so awkward in his life. How could a few kisses change everything?
After his shower, Wade went to his office. He hadn’t been in there but five minutes when Morgan called him.
“How’s it going with you and Allie?”
Morgan sounded as though he were in the air. Morgan lived a much more high-profile life than Wade did, or wanted to. Running the hotels like he did, his life was filled with meetings and planning sessions that required a lot more travel than Wade’s.
“Are you heading somewhere?”
“Yeah. I’m on the way to a black-tie event at the California hotel. You got the invitation, which I’m sure you ignored like you ignore most of them.”
“You and I both know that is not something that I have to be at. The hotel chain and resorts are your passion.”
“Yeah, but our shareholders don’t mind seeing you there sometimes too.”
“Well, they’re just going to hold their breath for right now. I’ve got things on my mind that don’t include schmoozing with them.” It irritated him to have people think he was at their beck and call. That was probably the one thing about the hotel chain side of their money—the people involved, they had a lot of people counting on them for their jobs. Thankfully, Morgan didn’t mind. He enjoyed it, actually. There was something about that side of the life that challenged Morgan and so for that, Wade was grateful. Saved him having to pretend that he liked dressing up in a tuxedo or a suit. Nope—give him his Wranglers and his ropers and he was just fine.
And Allie.
The thought hit him like cold water.
Morgan asked a question and he heard it at a distance.
“You didn’t answer my question. How are you and your bride doing?” Morgan asked again.
Wade shook off the thought of Allie smiling and kissing him. “We’re doing all right. Thanks for being kind last night.” Could he tell his brother what he was feeling?
“She did seem like she was sweet. Like she could get hurt. Wade, I watched her all night and that woman is into you.”
He hung his head. He pulled himself together. “She is sweet. And we have an agreement. We were acting like it was real last night. That’s all.”
“Right. Look, Wade, you looked happy last night. If this lady is everything she looked like last night and everything you swear she is, then why are you going to let her go at the end of three months?”
“Because that is what we agreed to.”
“But can’t agreements be broken?”
“It’s not that easy. Allie is known for being vulnerable and right now with her life so torn up, even more so. I can’t take advantage of that. How am I supposed to know she’s thinking straight?”
“Does that mean your perspective on marriage has changed?”
Had it? “She might have changed the tide some. I know there are good women out there. At least, she is.”
Morgan was silent. “Sounds really complicated. I’ve got a bad feeling that Granddaddy’s going to do something with the hotels. And if he’s going to tell me that I have to get married or lose the hotels, I don’t know what I’ll do. I’m just warning you now that I’m looking at options. Because I’m not sure I’ll jump through his hoops.”
“Morgan, you and I both know that the hotels have investors. It wouldn’t be so easy to do this to you, would it? It could put the shareholders in jeopardy. He may have gotten more creative on you. I can’t come up with what but he’s got something weird up his sleeve.”
“I hope you’re right,” he said, strain in his voice. “I just can’t get over what he did. Or the fact that you actually went through with it. Look, I was pretty rough on you when you first told us. Well, thank you for doing what you’re doing. I might not be at the ranch that often but I didn’t wa
nt to lose it either. So I owe you. If I can do anything to help you, let me know.”
That meant a lot to Wade. “Thanks. If I need anything, I’ll let you know. And Morgan, thanks for calling.”
Chapter Sixteen
Ginny arrived in record time. She pulled into the ranch driveway just after dark and Allie was waiting on the porch.
“I am so glad to see you.” Allie called, as she hurried across the yard toward her friend. They had spoken several times during the day but seeing her burst from the Jeep grinning made Allie almost tear up.
“Allie girl!” Ginny yelled and ran toward Allie. She had on her boots with her jeans tucked in and her cowboy hat that had crinkles all over it. There was a big feather on the front of it, with some kind of jewel that shined in the porch light.
They hugged and jumped around a little bit. Despite seeing each other briefly last week on her trip back to Tyler, it had been more subdued in the room with her mother, where quietness was a must.
“I am so glad you came to see me.”
“I had to come kick your rear into gear.”
They both giggled.
“I need you to.”
Ginny gave her a I’m-here-for-you look. “Be prepared. Tomorrow I’m probably going to get me a piece of that husband of yours. He’s got your mind spinning and I’m here to stop that merry-go-round.”
Arm in arm, they walked back to the house and into the kitchen as they talked.
“I was freaking out when I called you, but I’ve calmed down. I didn’t tell you I’d calmed down on the phone because I didn’t want you to turn around and go home. I still wanted you to come see me. But he’s not completely to blame here, you know. I urged him to let the dance be real. I just wasn’t prepared for what real meant for me and my fickle little heart.”
“There is not one thing wrong with your heart. It is the best heart I’ve ever known or ever will know. It is not fickle. It is loyal, and wonderful and gentle and passionate. And men are fools for not seeing that. You are going to have a fabulous family one day when the man of your dreams sweeps you off your feet and treats you like the gem you are. You will have all those children you long for, the ones you’ve wanted all your life. And these sweet-talking or slick-talking cowboys without a dollar to their name who steal your money and try to make you think you are less than you are can go jump in a lake.”