by Anya Summers
“Who?”
“Grace, I need to speak with you,” Emmett said from her office doorway. It was the first time she’d seen him in jeans since they’d first met.
“Don’t worry, Dawn. I’ve got this covered,” Grace replied, and shut off the intercom, then closed her file before she rose and came around her desk. With her arms crossed in front of her chest, she said, “You can’t be back here, Emmett. This is getting absurd.”
“You’ve not been answering any of my calls. Give me five minutes to explain,” he said. He looked wild and unkempt and, if she were honest with herself, so damn sexy.
Her heart squeezed. God, she still wanted him, still loved him. But she wouldn’t allow him to make a fool of her twice. Once was enough. “I don’t think any explanation is necessary. It’s pretty clear what happened. You made a bet, and won.”
He shook his head. “Grace, that’s not—”
She held up a hand and cut him off. “I’m not in the mood for your excuses or reasons behind the bet. It was a horrible thing to do to anyone. And I won’t give you the chance to hurt me that way again.”
His face fell. “Grace, I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry.”
“I’m sure you are. You hurt me, more than I think I’ve ever been hurt before,” she admitted, and fought back a wave of tears. She wouldn’t break down in front of him. He didn’t deserve her tears. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing them.
He reached for her then. “Babe, I know I can make it up to you, just hear me out.”
She backed away. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. Please don’t come here again, unless you are seeking medical treatment. And even for that, I suggest the emergency room at the local hospital. Please leave me be.”
“Don’t do this. You know I have feelings for you,” he argued with a panicked look in his eyes.
“I know nothing of the sort, and doubt I would trust them. How would I know if they weren’t some ruse for another bet?” she said defensively. She had considered that in the dark of night: the fact that, if she took him back, she would wonder whether he was being honest with her.
He winced. “I wouldn’t, I swear to you.”
“Those are just words, meaningless words meant to soothe me and get your way. Not this time, Emmett, because I don’t believe you mean them. You told me that the most important tenet between a Dom and sub is honesty. I trusted you even when I told myself not to, and you broke that trust by not being honest with me.” She sighed at his frustrated look. “Just go. I need time, and if you truly do have feelings for me then you will give it to me.”
He huffed. “Fine. I will give you space. But this isn’t over between us. I’ll wait until you’re ready.” And the look he slanted her way called her a hundred times a fool, told her that if she stayed in this town, she would cave, she would forgive… because she loved him.
Grace wasn’t certain that was the right thing to do—that it wouldn’t be setting herself up for continual heartache.
Emmett swaggered away with that long, sure-footed stride of his. Grace went to her office door and closed it, flipped the lock, slid down onto the floor, and cried.
The following day, Grace and Dawn closed the office early to get paperwork done without any patients present. Since Grace was going to be out for the first part of next week, she had Dawn get the insurance filings done while she reviewed the paperwork the attorney had couriered over—which included a bill of sale, in case she wanted to sell the practice.
It seemed the local hospital had wanted to absorb grandpa’s practice for years. But he’d held out.
The offer for the practice was solid. The attorney had even put on a sticky note on top of it, saying that it was better than any of the offers her granddad had been made. There was also an appraisal of the house from two years ago. Between what she had from her parents’ estate and the sale of both of these, Grace knew money wasn’t an issue.
Her intercom buzzed.
“Yeah, Dawn?” she answered.
“I have a Colt Anderson to see you. Said he didn’t have an appointment but that it’s about the celebration tomorrow.”
“Send him on back,” Grace said, rising from her desk. She met Colt in the doorway of her office. “Colt, I wasn’t expecting you. What can I do for you?”
“I just have a few things to go over with you for tomorrow’s celebration. Most of the town has RSVPed.”
She winced. She’d forgotten to cancel the damn celebration. “Oh, okay, have a seat. I must warn you, I do have an appointment later.”
With his hat in his hands, he took the seat across from hers and glanced at the paperwork on her desk. She flipped the file closed.
“Are you leaving us, doc?” Colt asked her, tilting his head.
Grace sighed and nodded. “I would appreciate your discretion, but I’m considering it. I received an offer from an old colleague of mine in Denver, a very lucrative offer. I would be stupid not to consider it.”
“But didn’t your grandpa will his practice to you so that you would run it and not sell it?” Colt asked, confused.
“He did, but he didn’t take into account that this place might not be the right fit for me. What with people placing bets on me when they don’t know a damn thing about me…” she chastised him for the part he’d played.
Colt grimaced and shot her a look full of remorse. “About that: I’m sorry, truly. It wasn’t meant in a mean-spirited way, or intended to hurt you.”
“Be that as it may, I was hurt just the same. And I don’t know that this is where I belong. I was hoping it might be. But we don’t always get what we want.”
Colt leaned forward. “I know we both—myself and Emmett—bungled things badly with you. But I want you to know that I do consider you a friend, one that I know I hurt, and I ask your forgiveness.”
“It will take some time.” Like most of the rest of my life to get over Emmett, she thought bitterly. She was not a person who loved lightly.
“I understand. Just so you know, Emmett’s miserable without you. He’s been extra surly around the offices, to the point where I’ve had to send him home a few times,” Colt admitted.
“Is he going to his PT?” she asked, although she didn’t know why she cared, because she shouldn’t. The man was an insensitive moron.
Colt studied her thoughtfully. “Yes, because I’ve made sure of it. Until he finishes his therapy and is cleared by the surgeon, I won’t let him back up on a horse.”
“That’s something, at least. What did we need to go over for the celebration?”
“Here,” he handed her a file, “this is the finalized menu from Mrs. Gregory, and the timing of events. Since it’s a celebration, we thought we would make it fun for people to get up and tell stories of your grandpa. Then, if you feel up to it and would like to speak for a few minutes, we have that scheduled at three. After that, people can disperse or take part in some of the activities we have available on the ranch.”
Grace glanced over it. “You’ve got a knack for organization, I will give you that. Let me think tonight about whether I’ll speak or not, and I will let you know tomorrow.”
“That works for me. Why don’t you get there an hour early, before the festivities begin?”
“All right, I will. If that’s all—I hate to do this, but I have a full schedule today,” she said, rising, needing to get him out of her office.
“Sure. I’ll get out of your hair. Again, I apologize for the part I played in the bet. It was my idea.”
That stopped her, bringing her up short. “What? Your idea? Why? I don’t understand why you would make a bet like that in the first place?”
“Doc, we don’t get a lot of new available women in town who aren’t just tourists passing through. It’s not easy living far away from the bigger cities. There’s a lot you have to go without in order to live out here. And yeah… it was a casual bet placed between friends that was meant in good fun, to see who could win your favor. Just
be glad the rest of the gang didn’t know about it, either, otherwise you would have been fending off advances from Duncan, Mav, and the rest of the fellas. It’s no excuse, but I will say don’t be too hard on Emmett. He’s not used to softer feelings, not with the way he was raised, and he has feelings for you.”
“Where’d you get the bruise on your chin?” she asked, seeing the hint of a dark purplish bruise.
He grinned. “Our pal, Emmett.”
“You fought him?” This was getting out of hand.
Colt snorted. “I did nothing of the sort. Dude walked up and clocked me after you left him high and dry on Sunday. And no, I didn’t hit him back. Can I give you a piece of advice?”
“Why not?” She shrugged, willing to listen because nothing else was working. And now, with this new information coming to light that Emmett hadn’t actually made the bet—only agreed to take part—she was more confused than ever.
“If you don’t have feelings for Emmett, then let him go and move along, because he has them for you. If you do care for him, then you need to decide—and fast—what it is you do want. Because while your anger is justified, by drawing this out, you’re hurting him in turn.”
“I will think about it,” she replied, and walked him to her door.
He tipped his hat. “That’s all I ask. See you tomorrow.”
“Uh huh.”
Grace watched Colt leave.
Was she blowing the bet out of proportion and making it a bigger deal than she should? Possibly. But did that mean she was ready to forgive and act like nothing had happened? No. The hurt was still too fresh and raw. It kept bleeding every time she turned around.
All she did know was that Colt was right. She needed to make a decision one way or the other, and soon.
21
The day of her grandpa’s celebration of life event dawned with a crystal blue, cloudless Colorado sky. With temperatures in the eighties, it was setting up to be a perfect day. On the drive to Silver Springs, Grace had great big bats thumping around in her belly at the prospect of seeing Emmett again when she still didn’t know what to say to him.
All she did know for certain was that she loved him.
But just because you loved someone, that didn’t mean they were the right one for you.
She did love the long drive onto the ranch. Just the scenery alone, with the mountains surrounding it, was postcard worthy. The sights and smells of the ranch, with the cattle grazing in pastures. The wranglers keeping them in line, making sure none of them broke through the fences and ended up in the high country. Keeping predators away from such an enticing buffet of options.
Hanging in the parking lot was a banner welcoming people to the Joseph O’Neal Celebration of Life. The pain came fast and vicious. Grace missed him so much. Her grandfather had been the last member of her family, making her a true orphan.
There was no one to invite for Thanksgiving or Christmas. No one to exchange gifts with and share a meal. And what bothered her the most was that she’d begun to believe that perhaps she would have a new family. Not by blood, but a family of her own making, filled with friends… and Emmett.
She parked before she did something mortally embarrassing, like have a breakdown in the parking lot. In just a few hours, she would be done, and then she could head home to pack for her trip in the morning.
She went in the main entrance and found both Colt and Mrs. Gregory.
“There she is. I told you she would be here, Mrs. G.” Colt smiled. “Glad you could make it. Why don’t I go show you where everything is set up?”
“And then, if you’d like to come eat first in the kitchen, that way I will know if you like it.” Mrs. Gregory made a picture in jeans and a cowgirl top with her white chef’s apron over it. It was a clash of two worlds, and Grace bet that the cook was the only person who could pull it off as well as she did.
“Mrs. Gregory, I’m sure the food is perfect, and I trust you on that. I can wait to eat with the rest of the people coming. Colt, why don’t you show me where everything is?” Grace decided, taking charge of the situation.
“Certainly. Mrs. G, I think you’re good to go.” Colt gave the cook a warm smile.
Flustered, and looking between the two of them, Mrs. Gregory replied, “All right, but if someone doesn’t like what I have planned, there will be hell to pay,” and she marched off with that determined stride of hers toward the kitchens.
Perhaps Grace had been a little overzealous with her take-charge attitude. “I hope I didn’t offend her; I’m too nervous to eat just yet.”
“She’ll be fine. At these big shindigs, there’s always pressure to make sure everything comes out perfect. And there’s nothing for you to be worried about, we’ve got it all covered.” Colt ushered her outside to where the picnic tables and chairs were set up. There was a small stage with lots of seating underneath a giant tent.
“That’s where we’ll have people telling stories about Joe. And over there are tents set up for the food.” Colt nodded to where those were stationed.
The scent of barbecue from huge pits filled the air. Employees with the Silver Springs logo on their tee shirts were hard at work, setting up more seating, getting drink stations and trash bins placed.
Grace searched the grounds but didn’t see any signs of Emmett. She did spy Mav and Duncan, who both tipped their hats. And another cowboy she had met at dinner weeks back—she thought his name was Lincoln. But no Emmett. She didn’t know if she was relieved or peeved.
Colt walked her over to the reserved row of seats dead center in the front. He nodded toward them. “If you’d like, you can have a seat in that row. Have you decided if you want to say anything today?”
“Yes, I will. It’s only right that I do. And I want to thank you again for doing this. It might not seem like it now, but I do greatly appreciate all the work you’ve done.”
“That’s what friends are for.” Colt nudged her shoulder with his and steered her into the row.
It wasn’t long before the place was crowded. Grace hadn’t realized there were this many people in the town. Then again, it may have just been long enough since she had been in a crowd, that it looked that big.
She ate sparingly as she listened to the people talk about her grandpa.
“I remember this one time, I walked into Joe’s office after getting into a tussle with my drill. Sliced my hand open, blood pouring everywhere. And Doctor O’Neal took one look at the dishtowel wrapped around my hand and said, ‘Well, that one’s a gusher now, isn’t it?’ and laughed up a storm, slapped his thigh as he did.” The man at the microphone chuckled. His wiry build was clad in cowboy getup. He’d removed his Stetson while he talked, and the bald dome of his head reflected the sunlight.
Grace kept her eyes peeled for Emmett throughout the long afternoon. She accepted condolences, and shed a few tears at the stories people told.
Then, finally, it was her turn to speak. Grace had never been a fan of public speaking. She could do it if she had to, but that didn’t mean she enjoyed it. She looked out at the audience, spied all the cowboys save one, cleared her throat with a sip of water and began.
“I want to thank you all for coming today. As many of you know, my Grandpa Joe raised me after my parents died. He could be cantankerous when it was warranted and sometimes when it wasn’t.” That got a laugh from the crowd. “But he was always willing to go the extra mile and I’m sure he’s smiling down at this gathering now. He loved this town and the people in it. And sitting here, listening to your stories today, lets me know he was loved by you all. It warms my heart to know that he was such a part of this community. Thank you for sharing your stories with me, and helping me celebrate his well-lived life.”
Grace stepped back from the microphone, blinking back the tears swimming in her eyes. She spied Emmett at the edge of the crowd and felt the quick slash of love and need, followed by heartrending ache. He was wearing an expectant expression, filled with something bordering on hope.
She shook her head and turned away from him. Even as her heart called her a damn fool for walking away, it was what she did. When she glanced back, he was gone, vanished as if he had never been there. That made her question herself, whether she was being logical or acting out of hurt pride. Because she honestly didn’t know.
Grace said her goodbyes and thanks to Colt. During the drive out of the ranch, it took every ounce of strength she possessed not to turn down the lane that would take her to Emmett’s cabin. If she went there, she would cave, and she needed to figure out what it was she wanted first—before she made another foolish mistake.
Emmett cursed the incessant pounding on his front door. With a snarl on his lips while the little drummer boy and his band mates pounded away in his head, he yanked open the door. The sun’s glare hurt his eyes and he squinted. Colt stood on his front porch like he owned the place.
“Figures.” Colt tipped his hat back as he studied him.
“What the fuck do you want?” he asked in a voice hoarse from too much whiskey the night before.
“Since you ran from the event yesterday before I could talk to you… I just figured you might want to know that Grace left town. She’s gone.”
Emmett’s heart stopped. “What do you mean, she’s gone?”
Had he fucked things up so bad that she would leave without saying anything to him? It had been clear when she’d turned away from him yesterday that she still hadn’t forgiven him. Hence his decision to find oblivion in a bottle of Jameson.
“She left for Denver this morning.”
“What? And no one tried to stop her?” Emmett shouted. He thought he was going to be sick. She couldn’t be gone.
“Not my job to stop her. Can’t kidnap a grown woman. Sheriff would get mighty pissed off if I did that, and he’s a Dom you don’t want to mess with when he’s mad. Besides, what does it matter to you? And Jesus Christ, man, when was the last time you took a shower? You are rank, and smell like a bar.”