Her Cowboy Billionaire Bad Boy

by Liz Isaacson

  “Is that what he said?” Sophia asked, an inferno of rage moving through her.

  “Not exactly,” Patsy said. “He said he hadn’t told you, because he wasn’t sure he wanted to spend Christmas…here.”

  Sophia’s tears felt useless now. She heard what Patsy was really saying. Ames hadn’t told her about the family Christmas party at Cy and Patsy’s, because he didn’t want her there. It was her he didn’t want to spend Christmas with, not them.

  She needed to talk to him, but at the same time, she didn’t want to. If he wanted to break up, he should call her and say so. He could be a big enough man to do that.

  “You can have Cy tell him I won’t be there, so it’s not a big deal.”

  “Oh, I am not telling him that,” Patsy said. “You’re coming. The end. You’re my best friend, and I want you here.”

  “Patsy,” Sophia said with a sigh. “I’m not part of the Hammond family.”

  “Yes, you are,” Patsy said with enough force to make Sophia wonder if she was wrong. “Ames is a big boy. He can deal with it.” She wasn’t speaking quietly anymore either, and Sophia loved the fire inside her friend.

  “Okay,” Sophia said, her mind whirring again. She’d made a mess of things with Ames, but she wasn’t going to be like her mother. She wasn’t going to wallow in that mess.

  She was going to fix it.

  “I have to go,” she said to Patsy.

  “Sophia—”

  “I’m fine,” she said. “Honestly, I am. Okay? I just have to talk to Graham.”

  She hung up with Patsy, and she immediately called Graham Whittaker.

  “Sophia,” he said, surprise in his voice. “Everything okay?”

  “Yes,” she said. “Well, at the lodge, yes. I have a personal problem though, and I’m afraid I have to leave Whiskey Mountain Lodge.”

  “Oh,” Graham said. “That is bad news.” He sighed. “When? Like, right away?”

  “I can stay on until Christmas,” she said, a plan forming in her mind as she spoke. “I’m sorry, Graham. I’ve loved it here. I really have. I’d like to come back, actually. I just need about six months off.”

  “Can I ask why?” he asked.

  “Sure,” she said. “I fell in love with Ames Hammond, and he’s currently taking some dog training courses in North Carolina. I can’t stand being away from him, and I’m going to move there to be with him. He’ll be done at the end of June, and then we’ll be back in Coral Canyon. I’d love to return to the lodge then.”

  Graham chuckled, and he said, “I’ve never heard anyone say falling in love was a personal problem.”

  Sophia blinked, and a moment later, she laughed too. “Well, in this case, it kind of is.” Especially if she couldn’t get Ames back. She hadn’t even realized she’d lost him. He’d just slipped away—and she’d let him go.

  But she wasn’t going to do that anymore. She was going to figure out how to hold tightly to water, no matter what it took.

  “I’ll talk to Julianne about hiring a temporary chef,” he said. “Until July.”

  “Thank you, Graham,” Sophia said. Her third phone call for the day ended, and Sophia sank back onto the couch, wondering if she had enough energy to make a fourth.

  She needed an answer from Ames, and she felt like if she called him now—right after his argument with his brother—and he answered, she’d tell him she’d be moving to North Carolina with him after the holidays.

  If he didn’t…well, that was as good as him saying he wanted to break up.

  She dialed his number. Her heart pounded as the call connected. She stared straight ahead as the line rang and rang and rang….

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Ames was still fuming when his phone rang for the second time that night. He’d paced away from it, and as he went back to see if Cy had called back to chew him out some more, he saw Sophia’s name on the screen.

  His heart seized in his chest. Patsy had told her about the family Christmas celebration they were hosting in the apple orchard that December. Ames was supposed to tell her and invite her, and he hadn’t.

  He wiped his hand down his face and stared at the screen.

  The call finally went to voicemail, and he sank onto the couch. “I’ll call her back later,” he said, but he knew he wouldn’t. He’d told himself the same types of things when she’d texted him over the last couple of months, and he always found something else to do instead of responding to her text.

  Foolishness and guilt had become his constant companions. A dog whined, and Rosco pushed his nose into Ames’s knee.

  “Yeah,” he said, reaching over to pat the dog. “I screwed up.” Rosco was a gorgeous German shepherd, with so much intelligence, Ames could see it in the dog’s eyes. He looked at the animal and asked, “Why did I do that? Why didn’t I text her back?”

  He wished he had someone giving him cues. Someone to whistle when he should go, and someone to yell when he should come back. Someone to hold him back when he wanted to charge forward, and someone to release him when it was time to take down the bad guy.

  The problem was, Ames had become the bad guy out of him and Sophia. At first, he had been extremely busy. He still was. He couldn’t afford to take a day off in Rosco’s training, because the dog only had three more weeks to pass his training. And if he didn’t…. Well, dogs only got one shot at becoming K9 officer partners.

  Ames was desperate for the dog to pass, and he worked with Rosco every single day, both in class and out.

  He sighed and leaned back against the couch, wishing it was actually comfortable to sit on. “Seven more months,” he said to himself. “I can do this for seven more months.”

  He knew that in seven months, he wouldn’t have Sophia in his life. She wouldn’t stick around with the way he’d been treating her. The problem was, he didn’t know how to act. He didn’t know what a pause was. Constant phone calls and texts and video chats felt like a lot of work. Way more than simply pausing things where they were.

  His phone buzzed, and he reached for it, knowing it would be Sophia. She’d said, If you want to break up, just say so. I just need to know what your plan with us is.

  “I don’t have a plan,” Ames said. “Isn’t that what a pause is, Sophia?” He hated that he was annoyed with her, but the truth was, he was.

  He wanted her here with him. That was his plan, and she’d rejected it.

  Before he could pick up his phone to tell her that, it rang. He dang near dropped it, but he managed to catch it before it hit the table, and he marveled at his ninja moves. Colton’s name sat on the screen, and Ames wasn’t sure he could handle another brother-to-brother talk.

  He considered the consequences if he didn’t, and Colton wasn’t as kind as Sophia. He’d just call again. Right when the call was about to go to voicemail, Ames tapped the phone button and gave it a second to connect.

  “Hey,” he said. “Happy Thanksgiving, Colt.” He thought he sounded pretty upbeat, and maybe Colton would just ask him where he’d eaten his turkey dinner. Cy hadn’t even asked that. He’d called upset, and he’d led with, You didn’t even invite her for Christmas? What is wrong with you?

  Ames hadn’t appreciated that, especially coming from Cy. He’d come to stay with his brother after he’d had a panic attack and near mental break-down. And he was asking Ames what was wrong with him?

  And he got help, Ames told himself as Colton wished him a happy Thanksgiving. “Just wondering what your plans are for Christmas,” Colton said. “Cy said he wasn’t sure, and we’re getting Kate by then. We’d love for her to meet the whole family.”

  Ames relaxed, because this wasn’t about his failure to make holiday plans with his maybe-girlfriend. This was about his brother and the daughter he and Annie were adopting.

  “I’m coming to Coral Canyon,” he said. That part had never been up in the air, and Ames rolled his eyes to the two dogs on the couch beside him. Cy. He was just trying to get all the brothers after Ames to guilt
him into coming.

  “Great,” Colton said, his voice falsely bright.

  “You don’t sound like it’s great,” Ames said.

  “I’m scared,” Colton admitted, and Ames liked that he was real. Maybe he could be real with Colton too. He swallowed, his throat so sticky. “I mean, I don’t know very many eight-year-olds, and I have no idea what to do with one.”

  “I think you’ll figure it out,” Ames said.

  “And we don’t know what she’ll need,” Colton continued as if Ames hadn’t even spoken. “Annie’s worried about doctor’s appointments and therapy, and I’m feeling like I did something wrong.” With every word he spoke, his voice got quieter and quieter, almost like he wasn’t in private but still wanted to talk.

  “You didn’t do anything wrong,” Ames said.

  Colton sighed. “Annie says that too. I feel good about it one moment, and like I might throw up in the next,” he said. “And I don’t know what that means.”

  Ames could relate. Boy, could he relate. He opened his mouth to give his brother advice, and instead said, “I feel the same way, except about Sophia.”

  Colton paused for a moment. “You do?”

  “Yes,” Ames said. “I’ve messed up. She wanted to pause, and I thought that meant pause. But she thinks it means we just live apart. I don’t know what that means. I don’t know how to have one foot in Coral Canyon and one foot here. I don’t know how to be a long-distance boyfriend. I’m scared out of my mind.” He sighed. “This isn’t about me. Sorry.”

  “Don’t be sorry,” Colton said softly.

  They sat on the line together, and it was nice. It was almost like they were in the same room, and Ames appreciated Colton. Ames finally drew in a deep breath and said, “Cy knows a lot about therapy, Colt. He’ll help you with that. And you’ll have a case worker, right? She’ll help you too. You’ve wanted to be a father for a long time, and you’re getting what you want.”

  “Yeah,” Colton said. “You’re right. I know you’re right.”

  “God would not have allowed that little girl to come into your life if it wasn’t right,” Ames said.

  “Thank you,” Colton said, his voice filled with gratitude. “I knew I’d feel better if I called you.”

  Ames wasn’t sure why. He’d hijacked Colton’s freak-out session with one of his own. “Where did you eat today?”

  “Annie cooked,” he said. “She’s amazing. Her daughters and their husbands came. Em is doing great. Three months left in the pregnancy.”

  “That’s great,” Ames said, reaching over to stroke Florence.

  “Where did you eat today?”

  “The school had a big dinner for anyone not going anywhere,” he said. “It was in the cafeteria, and I think there were more dogs there than people.” He smiled just thinking about it. “It was really good, actually. They have a real chef here and everything. I bought a meal plan, so I can eat in the cafeteria every day.”

  “Sounds amazing,” Colton said.

  Ames’s phone buzzed, and he realized he was getting another call. He pulled the phone from his ear and looked at it. “Colt,” he said. “Gray’s calling.”

  “I’ll let you go,” Colton said, and Ames said goodbye. He switched the call to Gray, wondering if all of his brothers would call.

  “Hey,” he said.

  “Happy Thanksgiving,” Gray said.

  “You too.”

  “Listen, I know you’re busy,” he said. “I’m just wondering if you could talk to Hunter for a minute? He’s been having some problems with Molly, and he said he’s talked to you already?”

  Ames wasn’t sure if that was a question or not, but he said, “Yeah, a little.”

  “He said you’d understand, and he didn’t want to talk to me about it.” Scuffling came through the line, and Gray said almost under his breath, “He wouldn’t even tell Elise about it, and that’s got her red flags all over the situation. I told her I’d call you and find out what you knew. I don’t think Hunter will call. But I think if you reach out to him, he’ll spill his guts.”

  “Gray,” Ames said. “Breathe.”

  Gray exhaled, and audibly drew in another breath. Ames had no idea what it was like to be the father of a fourteen-year-old, so he couldn’t judge Gray’s concern.

  “I’ll talk to him,” Ames said.

  “I don’t want you to, like, betray his confidence,” Gray said. “But Elise and I are concerned about him.”

  “I’ll talk to him,” Ames said again. “And I’ll judge what I think you should know and weigh that with what he wants to tell you.” He cocked his head to the side like his dogs did so often. “In fact, I’ll encourage him to tell you himself.”

  “He used to,” Gray said. “But he’s changed.”

  “No,” Ames said. “He’s changing. He’s almost fifteen, Gray. Think about when you were fifteen. What did you want to do more than anything else?”

  “Hunt,” Gray said. “Fish. And….”

  “Kiss girls,” Ames said. “It’s not a crime. He’s not abnormal.”

  “He’s not like that,” Gray said. “He actually started therapy a while ago, because he wasn’t sure he liked kissing Molly.”

  Ames’s eyes widened. “I’m pretty sure he likes it now.”

  Gray sighed. “Yeah, I know. You’re right.”

  “He likes that girl,’ Ames said. “Have you met her? Do you know what she’s like?”

  “Yeah,” Gray said. “You know her too. She’s the pastor’s daughter.”

  “Pastor Benson?”

  “Yes,” Gray said.

  Ames whistled. “No wonder Hunt is upset she told him she wanted to be friends with other boys. Those Benson girls are cute.”

  “Wait. She told him she wanted to be friends with other boys. What does that mean?”

  “Heck if I know,” Ames said. “Hunter didn’t either. This was months ago, Gray. At Grams’s birthday party.” He hadn’t talked to Hunter since, and guilt threaded through him. “I’ll text him tonight.”

  “Yeah, sure,” Gray said, his voice suddenly twice as loud. “Bring her out tomorrow. I’m sure Elise would love to have a play date for Jane. She’s just not feeling well tonight.”

  Ames suspected Hunter had just walked in. “Talk to you later, Gray.”

  “Sure, call her in the morning.”

  Ames chuckled as he hung up, and he’d literally been off the phone for two minutes before Wes called.

  Ames felt more loved clear across the country than he had while with his family. None of them had forgotten about him. None of them made him call them first, though he would and not even think twice about it.

  By the time he got off the phone with Wes, a headache had started behind his eyes. He told himself he’d take some painkiller. Work with Rosco for twenty minutes. And then—then—he’d text Sophia back.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  “I still think this is the stupidest thing in the world.” Cy glared at Ames, who sat beside him in the kitchen. Patsy was cutting his hair—into the exact same style as Ames’s.

  He wanted to pretend they were sixteen years old again and do a switcheroo with Sophia.

  “You’re going to ruin this,” Cy said.

  “Cy,” Patsy said. “Leave him alone.”

  “She’s going to see right through it,” Cy said, folding his arms under the drape. “I can’t believe I’m cutting my hair for this. He’s got this woman he’s in love with, but he can’t face her? I don’t get it.”

  “We don’t have to get it.”

  Ames said nothing, and that only made the fire in Cy’s stomach bubble with more intensity. “Tell me again what your goal is,” Cy said.

  “I’m just nervous,” Ames said. “And this way, I can observe her for a few minutes. You’re not going to have to talk to her or anything. You’re not going to pretend to be me.” Ames glared at him, but Cy gave it right back.

  “You’ve been talking to her this month, right?” Cy aske
d.

  “Yes,” Ames said. “I didn’t ghost her again.”

  “How much have you talked to her?”

  “Enough,” Ames said. “Enough that she’s coming, and enough that I’m nervous, and enough to think she might break up with me the moment she sees me.”

  “Then that’s not enough,” Cy said. “She might break up with you? Why? Why haven’t you cleared the air between you?” He really didn’t understand. He wanted to understand.

  His wife ran her fingers along his scalp, and Cy looked up at her. “Tell me I’m not bald.”

  “Your hair grows back,” she said with a smile. She stepped back and looked at him and then Ames. “You look good, Cy. Very sexy.”

  “Does that mean I’m sexy too?” Ames asked. He laughed in the next moment, and Patsy did too.

  Cy rolled his eyes. How she could be so casual about this, he didn’t know. Sophia was her best friend, and she was willing to make her do a double-take so Ames could play this little game?

  “Am I done?” Cy asked.

  “Yep.” Patsy stepped back to him and unsnapped the drape. He stood up and brushed his hands through his hair.

  He wasn’t bald, but he threw Ames a dirty look as he headed for the bathroom. “Oh, wow,” he said. “It’s so short.”

  “It’s sexy,” Ames called from the kitchen, and Cy dang near punched the glass. He didn’t, because he didn’t want to celebrate Christmas with stitches. They were attending the tree lighting ceremony tomorrow night, Christmas Eve, up at the lodge with the Whittaker family. Patsy was still very much part of them, and Cy could admit he enjoyed the celebration there. He actually loved the lodge, as that was where he’d asked Patsy out and proposed to her.

  On Christmas Day, everyone would gather here, and Patsy had coordinated with Annie and Bree to make a holiday feast.

  Cy went back into the kitchen and faced his twin. “I think this is a mistake, and I think you should just call her and ask her to please forgive you, and if she can, that you’d love to be her husband, and maybe she’ll say yes to that.”