by Kate Pearce
“And you only know that because you went behind my back and asked her to intervene on your side!”
Danny came over and stood slightly behind Faith, his expression a combination of awe and deep interest.
“Excuse me,” Faith tried, but they were too busy glaring at each other to take much notice of her. “Excuse me!” This time she shouted. “This is not okay. Neither of you should be in my house right now.”
“But Faith.” Callie turned to her, her voice wobbling. “I know you and Brandon had some problems trying to conceive, but that’s hardly my fault, is it?”
“Some problems?” Brandon spoke up. “Three years of absolute hell while we tried every test and every procedure known to man!”
Faith held his gaze. “I can assure you it was far worse for me than it was for you, Brandon.”
He had the grace to blush. “Okay, maybe, but you can’t deny that it eventually sunk our marriage.”
Danny’s hand came to rest on Faith’s shoulder, grounding her.
“Then why can’t you be pleased that I got pregnant without even trying?” Callie asked him. “I changed from one brand of birth control to another, got the flu at the same time, took antibiotics, and ended up pregnant.”
Brandon stared at her, his mouth open. “You might have mentioned that part sooner, Callie. I thought—I believed you’d done it deliberately.”
“I didn’t want you to know I’d messed up!” Callie said. “I thought—after everything that happened with Faith you’d be thrilled!”
“Hold up a minute,” Danny said slowly. “You thought your husband would be thrilled that you could do something Faith couldn’t?”
Callie’s guilty gaze flicked toward Faith. “I didn’t mean it quite like that.”
“It sure sounded like it.” Danny wasn’t having it. “I might just be a bystander, but how come you two think it’s okay to turn up in the middle of the night and air your dirty laundry in front of the woman you both betrayed?”
Brandon went to stand beside Callie. “That’s hardly any of your business.”
Faith cleared her throat. “You made it his business by bringing your marital problems into my home. How dare you?” She turned to Callie first. “You were my friend. I told you everything and guess what? It does look like you thought you could do better than me and give Brandon a child.”
“That’s not fair! You said you were okay with everything, that we were still friends,” Callie cried.
“What choice did you give me about that, Callie?” Faith asked. “If I had any chance of getting away, I had to work with you both to keep the clinic running until I could buy myself out.”
Faith turned to Brandon. “And you think it was bad for you? I was the one who had to record my temperature, keep all those damn charts, rush off to the doctors to get blood taken and hormone levels checked and . . .” She waved a hand. “Then I find out that you’ve been telling Callie how awfully hard it is on you, and suddenly I’m the bad guy? You both betrayed me and I’m tired of trying to pretend that any of it was okay.”
She pointed to the door. “Now, you can both get out of my house and please don’t ever come back.”
“Faith, I think you’re being a little unfair here.” Brandon took Callie’s hand. “I didn’t physically cheat on you while we were still married—I . . .”
“No, you did something far worse, Brandon. You both betrayed me mentally and emotionally,” Faith said, refusing to look away. “And then you tried to make me feel bad if I didn’t go along with it. Well, I’m done being nice.”
Callie drew herself up and faced Faith. “I’m sorry that you feel this way, Faith, but it’s not our fault that you can’t have kids, and I won’t be made to feel bad because I can.”
When Faith opened her mouth to speak Danny suddenly moved in front of her. “Can I see you both out? There’s a hotel down in Morgantown if you need somewhere to stay for the night.”
He escorted them firmly but politely to the door, offered vague instruction about how to get to town, and just about resisted the urge to kick them down the steps before shutting the door behind them. When he got back to the kitchen, Faith was standing with her back to him staring out the rear window. Her stance reminded him forcibly of the last time they’d spoken, which wasn’t good.
“They’re still by their cars arguing, but I turned off all the outside lights so hopefully they’ll get the message and leave,” Danny reported back.
“You should have sent them up to the ghost town,” Faith said.
“I didn’t think of that,” Danny said thoughtfully. “Not sure if the Morgans would be happy with trespassers on their land, but I’d quite like to see them being run off.”
“I don’t care.” She swung around to face him, her arms folded under her chest, and her head held high.
“Neither do I. What a pair of shits.” Danny went and poured them both more coffee. “I’m impressed that you put up with them for as long as you did.”
Inside, his heart was aching for what she’d been through, but he waited for a signal from her to understand what she needed from him right now.
“I didn’t feel like I had any other choice. I had to save the business.”
“So you said.” Danny focused on the coffee. “Still.”
“I did what I normally do, packed all the hurt away in a box, sealed it up, and got on with my life while telling myself that everything between us was fine when it obviously was not fine.” She blew out a breath. “In a weird way it was good to get that off my chest.”
“I bet.” He slid the coffee over toward her. “After facing down my entire family at dinner I’m beginning to think my dad might be right about letting it all out sometimes.”
She shuddered. “Not all the time.”
“Definitely not.” He met her gaze and took a deep breath. “I admire you for saying what you did. I think it’s one of the reasons I still love you.”
“What did you say?” Faith whispered.
“You heard me.” Danny sipped his coffee like he had all the time in the world and his heart wasn’t thumping fit to burst.
“We—” She waved a hand at him. “Of course you loved me. I loved you, too.”
“I’m not talking about the past and you know it,” Danny replied. “I guess, what I need to know is whether you love me, too.”
“Didn’t you just hear all that?” she asked. “Haven’t I already proved I’m not good enough for you?”
“I think you’re just fine the way you are. I always have,” Danny said. “You’ve had a whole load of shocks to deal with recently, and I know you hate that. How about when you sit down and think things through you give yourself some credit, accept that you are instantly forgivable, and come around to my way of thinking?”
“About what?”
“Deciding whether you’re in love with me.” He shrugged. “It’s an easy question. Once you answer that then we can deal with everything else together.”
“It’s not that simple,” Faith protested.
Danny set his coffee down and picked up his hat. “Yeah, it is.”
“Where are you going?” she demanded as he set off for the door.
“To make sure those fools are off your land and to lock the gate behind me so they can’t get back in again.”
“But—” She came toward him, her voice rising.
“You know where I live.” He looked down at her. “As I said, come and give me an answer. I can take it.”
“Danny . . .”
He gently dropped a kiss on her nose. “’Night, Faith. Give Dave and Tio my best.”
Chapter Twenty
“So Tio’s grandmother was all, like, don’t you think I’d noticed? And Tio was all, but are you okay about it? And she said she totally was and hugged him and they both cried.”
Dave was regaling her with way too many details about what had happened between him and Tio the night before, but Faith nodded and smiled as she ate her way through a mas
sive bowl of frosted cereal with marshmallows that was supposed to brighten her day. He looked so happy that she didn’t have the heart to stop him.
“That’s awesome.” Faith ate another spoonful of cereal. “I guess Mom and Dad know already?”
“Yeah, they worked it out a year or so ago.”
“Well, I’m really happy for both of you,” Faith said. “He’s way too good for you, of course, but—”
“Ha, ha.” Dave pointed his fork at her. “Seeing as you’re hanging out with Danny Miller again maybe we balance each other out.”
Faith ate more cereal and checked the time. She was due up at the Brysons’ for one last check before they could relax the quarantine. The two fields where she suspected the cows and calves had first contracted scours were currently cordoned off and would be dealt with when the Brysons came back.
If they came back.
She looked up to ask Dave and found he was still staring at her.
“What?”
“You didn’t immediately deny you weren’t seeing Danny.”
“So?”
“I guess that’s progress.” Dave filled his flask with the rest of the coffee. “Admitting you have a problem is the first step toward recovery.”
“What if I don’t want to recover?”
He smiled. “Then I suppose you’re addicted?” He got off his seat and came around to her side of the counter. “I’m good with it.”
“Like I care what you think,” Faith groused.
“How could you not care? I’m your adorable baby brother.” He gave her a noogie. “I just want you to stick around and be happy, Sis. See you at the clinic when you get back.”
Faith finished her cereal, the sound of her crunching loud in the silence. She wondered whether Callie and Brandon had gone back home, or if they’d stayed the night somewhere. Reluctantly, she got out her phone. There was nothing from Danny, but there was a message from Brandon asking if she’d be willing to speak to him and Callie at the hotel in town before they left at lunchtime.
Faith considered her options. Was she willing? Did they deserve any more of her time? She’d think about that while she drove up to the Brysons’.
It was a beautiful clear day, the sky an endless blue without a cloud in sight, heat already shimmering off the roads and heating up the rocks. She loved Morgan Valley. The thought of settling down with her family within reach and the potential of expanding the business appealed to her greatly. She’d have to work things out with her parents before she made any final decisions, but they weren’t the only people who had made mistakes, and she knew in her heart that they’d only wanted the best for her.
And then there was Danny . . . she sighed as she turned into the Bryson driveway. He was as strong and reliable as the mighty Sierra Nevadas that enclosed the valley and just as full of contradictions. He was waiting for her to make her mind up about their relationship and she already knew he had the patience of a saint.
She pulled up in front of the barn alongside an unfamiliar car and looked cautiously around.
“Hey.”
She almost jumped when Sue Ellen appeared in the doorway of the house. She was almost unrecognizable having lost so much weight.
“Hey!” Faith held up her bag like a shield. “I’m not trying to intrude, Sue Ellen. I just need to make some final checks on the calves and then I’ll leave you to it.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not going to jump down your throat.” Sue Ellen cleared her own throat. “I hear you did a really good job keeping things together for us. Thanks.”
“It wasn’t just me. Dave and Danny Miller were here a lot as well,” Faith said. “How’s Doug? Is he here?”
“He won’t come back.” Sue Ellen shifted her position slightly and pushed open the door. “Come in and have something to drink, will you?”
“Sure. Thanks.”
Faith entered the shadowed house, took off her boots, washed up, and went through into the kitchen where Sue Ellen was setting out a jug of iced tea on the table. She accepted a glass of tea, winced slightly at the sweetness before deciding it went well with the marshmallows, and downed half the glass.
Sue Ellen appeared lost in thought, her gaze drifting around the kitchen as if she was trying to recognize something unfamiliar. Reluctant to disturb the silence, and still unsure of Sue Ellen’s motives, Faith stayed quiet.
“Ben and Silver made me an offer for the ranch,” Sue Ellen finally said.
“Is that something you’d be interested in? Selling up I mean?”
Sue Ellen shrugged. “I can’t run this place by myself.”
“If you wanted to, I’m sure Ben and Silver could make that happen,” Faith said gently. “You’re more than capable.”
“I’ve kind of lost heart.” Sue Ellen sighed. “All those dead calves . . . and all because Doug and I were too proud to ask for help. I think we both need a new start and the money would mean we could go anywhere, or just travel the world for a while. We’ve been stuck here for years.”
“Ranching is hard,” Faith agreed, and hesitated. “Have you thought of maybe taking a year off to think about things and then making a decision? I’m sure Ben and Silver would keep this place going for you while you were away.”
Sue Ellen frowned. “I hadn’t thought of that. I don’t think Doug will go for it, but everyone keeps telling me not to make such an important decision too quickly.”
Faith didn’t say anything but sipped her tea.
“Dr. Tio said the only reason we have any cattle left is because of you and Danny.”
“Danny was amazing. He put in more hours than any of us,” Faith said. “Have you spoken to him?”
“I’m kind of embarrassed,” Sue Ellen said slowly. “He was the one who found me in the barn completely failing at everything.”
“One thing I can tell you about Danny Miller is that he has an amazing capacity to forgive people,” Faith said. “Ask me how I know.”
Sue Ellen smiled for the first time. “He’s still sweet on you.”
“Then I’ll take advantage of that and make sure you get to speak to him soon.” Faith finished her tea, aware that they were heading toward dangerous ground. “I’d better get on. It was nice visiting with you, Sue Ellen.”
“It’s okay, I’m not going to shout at you about Danny anymore either. Doug and I really need to let it go.”
“That would be awesome.” Faith still stood up. “I’ll go and call Danny, okay?”
“Tell him I’m going back to Florida tomorrow to tell Doug about Ben’s offer.” Sue Ellen met her gaze. “Thank you again, Faith. I really mean it.”
“You’re more than welcome.” Faith set the glass in the sink. “I’ll come back and give you an update before I leave.”
She went out into the light and blew out a long breath. That had gone way better than she had expected. The thought of the Brysons walking away from the ranch they’d farmed for three generations still made her sad. At least she’d suggested alternatives to Sue Ellen giving it all up too fast and then regretting it.
She sent a text to Danny but didn’t wait for an answer. He’d either turn up or he wouldn’t. She’d done her part.
* * *
An hour later, after she’d given her report to Sue Ellen, she was back at the clinic where she took over from Dave, who had to deal with an emergency. The place was running way more smoothly now with patients able to book appointments online as well as by phone and, even better, everyone was on board with it. The old ways of turning up unannounced at the clinic, or at the house, or meeting up with her dad at the golf club weren’t going to hack it anymore.
Her parents were due back in four weeks. She wondered what her dad would think of the rest of the improvements she’d made to the business. He’d certainly appreciate the increased revenue stream. Faith’s phone buzzed and she saw another text from Brandon, whom she’d totally forgotten about.
We are leaving Morgantown at noon. Have decided to get counseling to
gether. I apologize for descending on you like that and hope we can repair the damage at some point.
“Not if I have anything to say about it,” Faith muttered, channeling her best Jeff Miller. “The nerve of some people.”
She checked in with her techies and admin and decided to walk back up the slope to the house to get some lunch. She needed to think, and the house was empty enough for her to do that in private. The walk helped clear her head even more although she was still puffing when she reached the side door and looked for her key.
“Faith?”
She almost squawked when someone spoke from behind her.
“Brandon . . .” She spun around only to find Evan Miller behind her, hat in hand. “What do you want?”
“I just wanted to talk to you for a minute.” He smiled. “I didn’t mean to give you a heart attack.”
“Then don’t creep up on me.” Faith opened the door and beckoned him inside. “I’m just about to make some lunch. Would you like something?”
“Like food?” Evan asked as he followed her lead, took off his boots, and sauntered into the kitchen.
“No, like poison.” Faith wasn’t in the mood to be lectured by Danny’s baby brother right now. “Have you come to tell me to leave Danny alone again?”
“Nope.” Evan studied the hole in his sock. “Actually, I wanted to apologize.”
Faith leaned back against the counter, amazed at her second unexpected apology of the day, and regarded him. “About what?”
“Last night at dinner I kind of got into it with Danny, and he ended up telling everyone about you and the baby.” He grimaced. “It was my fault, and I wanted you to know that before you thought Danny did it to spite you or something.”
“Danny hasn’t got a spiteful bone in his body,” Faith pointed out.
“Well, I know that, but—”
“Evan, I know Danny pretty well,” Faith said gently. “You don’t have to explain him to me.”
“Yeah, well, he’s kind of my favorite brother, and I kind of blew it, and I just wanted to make sure it didn’t get any worse because he’ll kill me if you get upset again.” His gaze drifted toward the door. “I guess I should be getting back.”
