Home on the Ranch--The Cowboy's Dilemma

by Pamela Britton

  She flinched and he realized his words had come out sounding harsh. He opened his mouth to apologize, but she interrupted him with, “Look, I appreciate your hospitality and all, but I’m starting to feel like a class-A jerk. Why don’t you email me whatever pictures you’ve got and I’ll start to work up a proposal back at home? I can bounce some questions off you that way. My email’s on that brochure I gave you. Go on back to work. I’ve taken up enough of your time.”

  He was the class-A jerk, not her.

  “Tell your brother and his fiancée I’ll have something for them by the end of the week.”

  And with those words she started to walk away.

  “Amy,” he called out.

  She stopped.

  “My family’s not going to throw you out onto the streets or anything. You don’t need to worry about that. You can stay at our place for as long as you like.”

  Her thick lashes fluttered and he watched as she sucked in a breath. “Thank you, but I plan to pay my own way.”

  He was still standing there trying to figure it all out when she drove by a moment later.

  Chapter 5

  She couldn’t stop thinking about him, not when she got home and opened up a new document and renamed it GILLIAN WEDDING, and not a few days later as she walked the short distance to her mailbox at the end of the main road. The rain had let up the other day and it was beautiful outside, the scent of wet earth hanging in the air. She wondered what Flynn was doing and, on the heels of that thought, what Trent might be up to.

  Stop thinking about him.

  She pulled down her mailbox door and spotted an envelope, one with the name Donatello as part of the return address. Her heart actually skipped a beat, and when she opened it and spotted the check inside, she let out a crow of delight. But then she went right back to thinking about Trent and what he’d done to her. But it wasn’t just Trent she thought about. It was Flynn Gillian, too, and that was the strangest thought of all.

  She was so busy imagining the look on his face when she would hand him the rent money that she didn’t hear the vehicle approach, at least not at first. When she finally did look up, the four-door sedan had already turned off the main road and, for a split second, her heart did another cartwheel because it might be him. Trent.

  Only it wasn’t Trent.

  It was the wrong type of vehicle, she realized. The sporty coupe was fancier than Trent’s. The clouds overhead painted the front windshield with their own reflections, making it impossible to see who drove until the vehicle pulled up alongside her. The passenger-side window opened and Amy leaned down and caught her first glimpse of a woman with hair as black as coal and eyes as blue as a spring sky.

  “Are you Amy?” she asked.

  Amy’s heart started pounding again, this time for a different reason. Was she in trouble? Had the Gillians hired someone to toss her out after all?

  “Yes,” she said warily.

  The woman smiled. “I thought so. I’m Jayden. Used to be Gillian, but now it’s Kotch. I’m Flynn’s sister.”

  Amy straightened in surprise before bobbing back down to smile at her. “Oh, hey.”

  “Why don’t you hop in? I’ll give you a ride back to your place.”

  “That’s okay. It’s not that far.”

  “Hop in,” the woman repeated, and Amy could tell this was a woman who didn’t like the word no. So she slipped inside, the smell of new car making her close her eyes and dream of a celebrity wedding, one that would put her on the map and net her enough money to purchase a car just like this one.

  “So my brother tells me you’re pregnant.”

  Did the whole family have to know? She would have to have a little talk with that Flynn Gillian.

  “Don’t look so horrified. He only told me. Nobody else in the family knows. Well, except my dad, but only because Flynn wanted him to understand how dire a situation you were in. Flynn’s really worried about you. He asked me to stop by, you know, so we can talk, one pregnant woman to another. Plus, I brought over some stuff. An herbal remedy that’s helping me with nausea and some fruits and veggies and things for your fridge.”

  The woman smiled and Amy realized her bulging front side had nothing to do with too many homemade muffins, which was what she pictured Jayden Kotch doing with her time—making homemade food and knitting socks and volunteering her time for the PTA. The genetics that gave Flynn his blue eyes and dark hair were absolutely stunning on his sister. She had hair as thick as the horses Flynn rode and a smile that instantly put her at ease.

  “You’re pregnant, too.”

  “Almost six months.” She patted her belly. “It’s part of why I’m in town. Baby shower back at where I used to work.”

  Work? She wouldn’t have thought a Gillian would have to work. They seemed rich beyond belief, but then again, Flynn obviously worked, too.

  She spotted the ring then, a ginormous diamond that sparkled like a Hollywood spotlight in the afternoon light. Everything about the woman said “money,” from the delicate diamonds in her ears to the softness of her jeans. Amy found herself hoping she’d look half as good as Jayden did when she was six months along, but who was she kidding? She’d probably have greasy hair and bags under her eyes from lack of sleep.

  “Here we are,” the woman said, pulling into her driveway. “I still can’t believe how cool this place turned out. Carson did such a great job designing it. His construction business has really taken off in the past year and I can see why he had to hand off managing the farm to my other brother Maverick, the one who’s getting married. He’s doing most of the work these days.” She put the car in Park and reached for the keys, and Amy realized the woman drove a rental car. “You should put out some decorations for fall. Some pumpkins would look cute on that porch.”

  She couldn’t afford her rent, much less a pumpkin and/or decorations.

  Thinking of her woes, she suddenly remembered the envelope she’d just received in the mail. “I have a check.”

  Jayden’s brows lifted.

  “I finally got paid for my last job. I can pay the rent and buy my own groceries.”

  “But you don’t have to pay the rent. Flynn said you worked out a trade. And I brought you some groceries because it’s the neighborly thing to do. The trunk is full of bags.”

  Charity. Flynn sent out a 911. Crazy pregnant lady living at the ranch. Better bring her food.

  Jayden hadn’t been kidding. The entire trunk was full of bags, the cloth kind with the name of a fancy food store on the front. And the brands inside weren’t the local discount-store types of brands, either. She clearly shopped at one of those everything’s-homegrown places, the ones with price tags commensurate with the value of the cars parked in the lot.

  “Here,” Amy said. “Let me take a bag or two.”

  “That would be great.” And then under her breath, Amy muttered, “Looks like you robbed a grocery store.”

  Jayden laughed softly, hefting a canvas bag, one with something that looked like celery sticking out of the end of it. “I know, right?” She smiled sheepishly. “I think I went a little overboard.”

  You think?

  “When Flynn told me about you, I knew I had to help.” She slung the straps of the bag over her shoulder. “I was once pregnant and alone. Seventeen and married. The scandal of Via Del Caballo High. Then I got divorced not long after. Levi left me, and my dad disowned me and I found myself alone all over again. No money. Nobody to help. Scary times.”

  Amy had frozen with a hand on a bag. “But...you’re a Gillian.”

  Jayden smiled ruefully. “Clearly, no one has educated you on our family’s tragic past and all the skeletons in the Gillian closet.” She reached into the back of the vehicle and pulled out another canvas bag, this one with potatoes. “It’s a long story, one I’ll share with you, but first, let me brew you a cu
p of that to-die-for tea.”

  * * *

  The smell of the tea Jayden cooked up for her made Amy want to cry. Something minty and sweet and that soothed her by just its smell.

  “Sit down,” the woman said, and Amy felt bad because she should be the one cooking. She should be playing hostess, but she still sat. She had a feeling Jayden was used to being obeyed. Ergo the number of times Amy had told her she didn’t need groceries as Jayden had unloaded them into her fridge. She’d been ignored and now she was ready for a zombie apocalypse, thanks to Flynn’s sister.

  She took a sip of her tea, her eyes closed as the minty goodness washed down her throat. “Oh, dear me. I’ve died and gone to heaven.”

  Jayden smiled. “Trust me, it’s just what the doctor ordered. From here on out, you’ll never go far without your tea nearby. It’s a godsend.”

  Amy sat up a little straighter. “Were you sick, too?”

  “Every morning, noon and night. It got so bad Colby brought me to the doctor. Colby’s my husband. One of the kindest men I’ve ever met, and so good to me. He’s the one who found this tea for me. There’s something in it that helps with the nausea. Trust me, you’ll thank him later.”

  “Do you still get sick?”

  “No. It stopped for me about two months ago. Now I’m just getting bigger each day. I swear I’m carrying twins.”

  Amy couldn’t seem to stop from touching her own stomach, the word twin sending a burst of adrenaline through her. Dear Lord in heaven, what if she were carrying twins, too?

  “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

  “I think... I’m just overwhelmed.” She tried not to think about all she had coming, the changes to her lifestyle, the responsibility, the panic she felt when she thought about how much it all would cost, the heartbreak of losing a man she’d loved but who clearly hadn’t loved her back.

  A hand fell on her shoulder. She hadn’t even seen Jayden move. “It’s going to be okay.”

  And this family. The Gillians. They were all making her cry with their kindness and generosity.

  “I know it will be,” she said with a voice thick with tears.

  “First thing we’re going to do is take you on a tour of the place. Flynn said he couldn’t do that the other day. Then I’ll see if I can find some pictures. Work is good. Work will give you something to focus on other than your scary future.”

  “Pictures?”

  “So you can see what this place looks like in the spring, when the wedding is. It’s so beautiful. All green and gorgeous. It will help you plan.”

  This woman, this beautiful woman, understood what she was going through. “Thank you.”

  The woman’s eyes filled with warmth and understanding. “You’re welcome.”

  * * *

  Somehow, it didn’t feel as if she were infringing to have Jayden Kotch take her on a tour of the place. Jayden drove her around in her sporty car, not seeming to mind the gravel roads or the mud when they left the vehicle to explore the vineyards or the lake up on the hill, ending the tour in front of her aunt and uncle’s house. There was something she’d wanted her to see up there, behind her aunt’s place. A special spot of some sort.

  “This is amazing,” Amy said, turning to stare at the valley beneath them. The recent rains and the cloudy skies had stained the earth a dark brown, the vines below starting to lose their foliage this time of year. Off in the distance she could see some clouds forming, their shadows blotching the earth. It made her think it might rain again. But for now she could imagine what it would look like in the spring, when the leaves would be a beautiful light green and the sun would cast short shadows on the ground.

  “The view is pretty much the same from my father’s place,” Jayden said. “My aunt’s house is just a little higher up the hill.”

  They’d passed Reese Gillian’s home on their way to their current destination, a family gathering spot, Jayden had said.

  “You up for a walk?” Jayden asked.

  Amy felt so much better than she had in days. She didn’t know if it was the yummy brunch Jayden had ended up cooking her or the tea Jayden had made her drink. Either way, for the first time in days, she felt up to anything.

  “Lead the way.”

  “Let’s peek in on my aunt first. I’ll never hear the end of it if I don’t at least say hello.”

  She set off toward the house, a gorgeous single story made to look like a Spanish villa.

  “Come on. If you’re going to be organizing Maverick and Charlotte’s wedding, I should probably introduce the two of you, anyway. My aunt is about the nicest human being on the planet and my uncle is devoted to her. A real love story. You’ll adore them.”

  Amy was starting to think every member of the Gillian family was pretty stellar.

  “Will she mind us barging in on her?”

  “My aunt?” Jayden shook her head, a smile making her eyes light up. “Never. She’ll probably insist we stay for dinner or something.”

  Just the mention of the word dinner had her stomach grumbling again, which was ridiculous. She’d already had more to eat in one day than she used to eat in two. When the door swung wide a moment later, and the smell of something remarkable wafted out, her belly rumbled yet again. Both women froze. Amy felt her face flush.

  “Goodness,” said a woman with long gray hair and skin so smooth and so unblemished by time that it was hard to gauge her age. “Did that come from you?”

  Amy lifted a hand. “Guilty.”

  “Auntie Crystal, this is Amy. She’s renting the cottage from my dad, but she’s also a wedding planner, so she’s working on Maverick and Charlotte’s wedding for us, too. I thought I should let you know that I’m taking her up the hill.”

  “Are you hungry, child?”

  “No, ma’am,” Amy said. “Jayden and I already ate. My stomach’s just been acting weird lately.”

  The aunt tipped her head to the side. She studied her up and down, and Amy wondered if she knew she was pregnant.

  “Maverick and Charlotte hired a wedding planner, huh?” A smile had burst onto the woman’s gorgeous face. “How perfect.”

  “Well, not really,” Amy felt obliged to say. “I mean, I am a wedding planner, but I just sort of volunteered my services. It’s a long story.”

  “One I’d be interested to hear.”

  “We’re just going to head up the hill for a bit.”

  “Well, you better hurry,” Aunt Crystal said. “Looks like it might start raining again.”

  As if on cue, the earth around them darkened. Amy looked up. A giant cloud had appeared out of nowhere, casting everything in shadow.

  “We’ll pop in after,” Jayden told her aunt.

  Amy waved as they both turned and headed toward a path off the main driveway. The door closed behind them, but Amy couldn’t shake the feeling they were being watched.

  “Does she know I’m pregnant?”

  “I don’t think so,” Jayden said. “And don’t worry.” She laughed a little. “Your secret’s safe with me.”

  “It’s just so embarrassing,” she admitted. “I thought I had my life together, you know? Put myself through school, found a guy I thought was Mr. Right, started my own business. And now...”

  “You’re terrified of what the future holds.”

  “To say the least.”

  Jayden stared at the path in front of them. “I’m not going to lie, it won’t be easy. You might have some tough times ahead, but you’ll pull through.” She reached out a hand and touched her forearm in a gesture of kindness that made Amy swallow a lump in her throat. “Plus, you have Flynn in your court. Did you know he’s been driving by to check on you? Looking for signs of life, he called it. He’s been worried about you. And once Flynn makes up his mind to help someone out, he does it. Once, we had this really terrible rooster livin
g on the property. That thing would attack anything that moved. My dad wanted to shoot it, but Flynn insisted we rehome it. I don’t know how he did it, but he managed to find someone to take the thing. And when I was pregnant with Paisley, he was the one brother I could count on to call me every day and check on how I was doing. He might come across as gruff, but he has a heart of gold. All my brothers do, actually.”

  Amy stopped for a moment, taking it all in. Jayden stopped and turned, too.

  “It’s going to be okay,” she said, gently clasping her hand.

  “I hope so.”

  “It will.”

  She turned, headed back up the path again, Amy following behind. She’d been lucky, Amy thought. Lucky to have landed at Gillian Ranch instead of some place owned by a slumlord who wouldn’t care if she ended up on the streets. She closed her eyes for a second and thanked God above for that. When she opened them again, she stopped dead in her tracks. Jayden didn’t say anything, clearly expecting her reaction. Before her stood the most magnificent oak tree she’d ever seen, one with a trunk so wide it was hard to fathom how long it’d been growing. Centuries, probably.

  “It’s amazing,” she said.

  “Maverick told me this tree is special to them.”

  “I can see why.”

  And in an instant she knew what she wanted to do. Lights. Hundreds if not thousands of lights strung throughout the branches of that amazing old oak tree. Nighttime. Softly lit. More lights, but not as many, strewed through the low-lying shrubs around the pathway. Maybe weeping willow lights for the old tree, too, the kind that hung down in thick strands. Or the altar. She could set one up beneath the old branches. It would look like a constellation of stars had landed in the meadow, a bit of heaven on earth.

  “You’ve had an idea.”

  She smiled. “I have.”

  “Care to share?”

  She smiled in bemusement. “Not yet. Not until I work it all out, to see if it can even be done. I don’t suppose we could get power out here somehow.”