Showdown

by Amy Elizabeth

  Yes, she looked happy on the outside, but what if she wasn’t? What if she and Alec started having problems again? What if the ranch never sold and Alec clammed up and shut her out–this time for good? What if the time came when Rebecca needed him and Tommy couldn’t be there for her…because he was married to Liz?

  Just ask her.

  The answer came to him so stealthily that he almost thought he’d imagined it. Ask her, his subconscious prodded again. Ask her if Alec is giving her everything she wants. Ask her if he’s truly making her happy. It’s the only way you’ll know for sure.

  Tommy turned the idea in his mind, trying to imagine any possible repercussions. Rebecca had certainly confided in him in the past, so he didn’t feel that the question would be out of line. It would merely be one friend expressing concern for another.

  Liz was walking down the aisle now, her arm entwined in her father’s. Tommy watched her for a moment before he glanced briefly back at Rebecca.

  Yes, he decided. He would ask her tonight. He would make sure that he didn’t have to worry about her anymore, which would free him to devote all of his time and attention to Liz. There was nothing wrong with that, was there? It was just an innocent question.

  What harm could it possibly do?

  *

  If two weeks ago was one of the worst weeks of Rebecca’s life, this past week had been one of the best.

  Since the night Alec returned from Oregon, Rebecca fairly soared from one day to the next. Their marriage hadn’t been this solid in a long time; maybe it had never been this solid. All of the little things she’d been missing were back now. Alec was no longer distant or withdrawn from her. He was always right there in the present, listening intently as she told him about her day or holding her close as she drifted off to sleep.

  She no longer found him gazing at the horizon or staring blankly at the walls. She knew that he still wanted to move on from this place, and she hoped with all her heart that he would get his chance one day.

  In the meantime, though, he finally seemed to have found a measure of contentment.

  With her own marriage back on track, Rebecca was free to focus her energy on the wedding. She didn’t know what to expect when she, Allison, and Liz met Katie at the airport, but Katie instantly found her place amongst them. Like any maid of honor, she was determined to show the bride a good time before her wedding. Between a night out at the Cowboy Bar, a drive through Yellowstone Park, and pedicures at the salon in town, the four of them had shared plenty of laughs.

  Today was turning out to be just as fun. With the rehearsal behind them, the only thing left to do was open the champagne and enjoy one of Ryan’s sensational meals. A happy buzz of laughter and conversation filled the dining room as Rebecca collected the empty bottles and headed into to the kitchen.

  “I’ve got servers for that, you know,” Ryan reminded her.

  “I know,” she replied, merrily tossing the bottles into the recycling bin.

  He chuckled. “Well, aren’t you in a good mood.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “This is the third time you’ve been back here and you haven’t said a thing about my hat.”

  Rebecca glanced at his Yankees cap and burst out laughing. “Enjoy it while it lasts,” she said as she opened the door to the walk-in fridge. “Come Monday morning, it’s against dress code.”

  She’d barely set foot in the dining room when one of their banquet servers approached. “I’ve got it,” he offered, taking the champagne from her hands.

  “Thanks, Nick. You keep everyone’s glasses full, okay?”

  She was on her way over to Allison when Tommy stepped in front of her. “Got a minute?” he asked.

  One look at his face told her that he was experiencing full-blown pre-wedding jitters. “For the groom?” she replied. “Of course.”

  Rebecca followed him down the narrow hallway into the empty staff lounge. She could see Ryan and his crew scurrying around on the other side of the double doors, but all was quiet in the staff room. She couldn’t help but grin when Tommy turned to face her and she noticed his tie was crooked.

  “I can tell you don’t wear one of these very often,” she teased, reaching up to straighten the knot.

  “Does it look bad?”

  “No. You look handsome in a suit.”

  “You think?”

  She nodded as she smoothed the tie into place. “So what’s up? You look as terrified as Alec did at our rehearsal dinner.”

  “I remember.” He grinned and dropped his gaze to the floor. “How are things with you two now? Has it gotten better?”

  “Much. We’re going to be fine.”

  Tommy met her eyes again. “Are you sure?”

  Rebecca stared back at him in confusion before she gave a little laugh. “Yes, I’m sure. But I love the way you worry about me–”

  “I’m serious, Bec.”

  The harshness of his response startled her into silence. “I’m asking you a serious question,” he added, his tone softer now. “Because just a few weeks ago, things weren’t okay. And if there’s even the slightest chance that they still weren’t…”

  Rebecca frowned when his voice trailed off. This wasn’t an ordinary case of pre-wedding jitters. In all the years she’d known him, she’d never seen Tommy so agitated. The expression on his face was genuinely troubled as his eyes flitted from the floor to the hallway and back to the floor.

  “Look, Tommy, everyone gets nervous before they get married,” she assured him. “It’s perfectly normal. But you don’t have anything to worry about. You and Liz are going to be–”

  “This isn’t about me and Liz.”

  With those chilling words, Rebecca suddenly realized that it wasn’t. When Tommy met her gaze again, she saw something in his eyes that had never been there before. Or maybe it had, but she’d never noticed it.

  Either way, it was plainly there now…a depth of concern that went far beyond their friendship.

  “You know the night before Alec left?” he asked. “The night you went down to the lounge?”

  A cold shiver rippled down her spine. “How do you know I went to the lounge?”

  “Because that’s where I found you.”

  Her stomach flipped when he didn’t elaborate. She’d never seen this kind of intensity on Tommy’s face before; she didn’t even know that he was capable of this kind of intensity. She tried to pull in a breath, but her throat was too tight.

  “And?” she dared to ask. “Did something happen?”

  “No,” Tommy replied. “But not because I didn’t want it to.”

  Rebecca’s eyes widened. Automatically she took a step back, only to be startled when he took a step closer.

  “You told me that he made you feel invisible,” he continued. “You said that you’d tried everything you could think of and none of it worked. And then you started to cry.”

  She took another step back and nearly jumped when her heel hit the wall. “I don’t think–”

  “I told you that you could never be invisible,” he said, again closing the space between them. “And I meant it. Because it’s true, Bec. You’re all I see. You’re all I’ve ever seen.”

  “Tommy, stop,” she choked. “You shouldn’t be telling me any of this–”

  “Haven’t you ever wondered if it should have been us? Especially when Alec kept pushing you away?” He reached out to grasp her shoulders. “Don’t you know that I would never do that to you? I would never hurt you like he did. And I would never do anything to make you cry.”

  His last statement was ironic, because her eyes were filling with tears as he spoke. She stared up at him unblinking, hearing his words but unable to process their meaning. A hundred different memories exploded inside her head, going all the way back to her very first day in Jackson.

  She thought about how kindly he’d taken her under his wing that first summer on the ranch. She thought about the night of the fire and how he’d unquestioni
ngly risked his own life to protect her. She thought of the time they were trapped in his truck during the blizzard and how he’d kept her warm through the cold night.

  She thought, too, of the loving support he provided when Walter got sick, after he died, and in recent months when Alec was too consumed with his own concerns to give attention to hers.

  All this time, she’d assumed that he was just being her friend…

  “Tommy,” she managed to say. “You’re getting married tomorrow.”

  “You think I don’t know that?” he said just as quietly.

  “But what about Liz?”

  He lifted his hand and ever so gently wiped the tears from her cheek. “She’s not you.”

  Rebecca was speechless. This was a nightmare. It had to be, because there was no way this was really happening. There was no way that Tommy had felt like this for all this time and she’d never known it.

  And there was no way that he was standing here now, telling her that he was in love with her when he was about to marry someone else.

  She cringed and flattened herself against the wall, desperate to escape but powerless to move. Tommy wouldn’t have let her go, anyway. He leaned in closer and tilted her chin up, forcing her to hold his gaze.

  “You told me that I’ve always been good to you,” he said softly. “So do you really feel nothing at all for me?”

  Rebecca opened her mouth, but no words came out. Then a sudden movement caught her eye, momentarily diverting her attention. Her gaze drifted over the top of Tommy’s shoulder, and her heart lurched when she saw Liz standing directly behind them.

  Chapter 34

  Tommy hadn’t planned to say any of the things he’d said. He was simply going to ask Rebecca how she and Alec were doing and leave it at that.

  But as soon as he opened his mouth, he knew he was in trouble. He’d been too consumed with her for too long, and in his volatile emotional state he finally lost control. The next thing he knew, the truth came pouring out of his mouth, startling him as much as it startled her.

  Before Rebecca could respond, though, Tommy heard footsteps behind them. When he turned his head, the last person on earth he expected to see was his fiancée.

  The room seemed to spiral around him, closing in on him from all sides, until nothing remained but Liz’s horrified hazel eyes.

  “Liz, I–”

  His words were lost when she spun on her heel and fled down the hallway. What have I done? he thought as he chased after her. Tommy extended his strides as she bolted into the dining room, and when he reached for her hand she turned and struck his face with such force that everyone in the room instantly fell silent.

  “I gave you everything!” she shrieked. “And all this time, you wanted her?”

  He’d never seen Liz angry before. He’d never hurt her, either, so he was completely unprepared to see tears spilling down her cheeks. Tommy heard a rush of footsteps behind him, and when he dared a glance over his shoulder he saw Rebecca standing there in dismay. He turned back to Liz and drew in a deep breath, trying to ignore the roomful of eyes on him…and the realization that he was totally and inescapably trapped.

  From the corner of his eye, Tommy saw Alec set down his glass and slowly rise to his feet. Liz noticed him at the same time and held out her hands.

  “You have nothing to say?” she asked. “Your wife is sleeping with my fiancé, and you don’t have a thing to say about it?”

  Alec’s gaze flickered to Tommy before he looked back at Liz. “I don’t think this is the time or the place for this,” he said evenly.

  Liz gave a mirthless laugh. “You know what, Alec? You’re absolutely right.”

  As she turned to leave, Tommy once again reached for her hand. He didn’t care if she hit him again; he deserved to be slapped a thousand times and he knew it. But he couldn’t let her leave…not like this.

  “Liz, wait,” he pleaded. “It’s not what you think.”

  “It’s not?” She turned back to him and took a slow step closer. “Then look me in the eye and tell me you’re not in love with her.”

  Tommy’s heart plummeted. He knew now that he was beaten; there was no way out of that question. If he tried to lie, she wouldn’t believe him. And he couldn’t bring himself to admit the truth…not here, in front of everyone he knew.

  Instead he did the only thing he could do–he dropped his gaze and let out a silent sigh of defeat.

  “That’s what I thought.”

  He didn’t try to stop Liz this time as she headed for the door. Her cousin and parents were right behind her, followed closely by the rest of their guests. Tommy couldn’t bring himself to look at anyone; he’d never been so mortified in his entire life.

  Rebecca brushed past him, too, but he didn’t dare watch her go. Soon the room was empty, leaving only a clutter of chairs and half-eaten dinner plates. When Tommy finally looked up, he was startled to see that one person remained.

  Alec regarded him in the way that only Alec could–with infinite, inborn patience. Tommy stared back at him for a long moment before he swallowed hard and said the only thing that came to his mind.

  “I swear to you, Alec…I’ve never touched her.”

  He gave a small nod. “I believe you.”

  And Tommy could tell that he did. There was nothing aggressive about Alec’s stance; still, he made no move to leave. He was waiting for something, Tommy realized.

  He was waiting for Tommy to say it so he didn’t have to.

  He drew in a silent breath, knowing there was no way out of this one, either. “I’ll have everything out of my cabin by tomorrow.”

  Alec’s expression didn’t change. He merely nodded again and turned for the door, acknowledging the fact that he also didn’t want it to be this way.

  It was simply the way it needed to be.

  *

  All was dark when Alec entered the farmhouse, save for the glow of the fireplace. He heard Rebecca’s sniffles as he closed the door, but it took him a moment to locate her. She sat on the floor on the far side of the couch, buried beneath his father’s old woolen blanket.

  Wordlessly he sat beside her and pulled her into his lap. “It’s not true, Alec,” she choked. “What she said, it’s–”

  “I know,” he assured her, gently kissing her forehead. “I know it’s not true.”

  Rebecca lifted her face to look at him. “Please tell me you didn’t know he felt that way about me.”

  Alec cringed. “I found out a couple weeks ago.”

  “You mean before you went to Oregon?”

  He had no choice but to nod.

  She stared at him in disbelief. “And were you ever going to tell me? Or were you just going to sit back and let him marry her and let him keep living here with us–”

  “I wasn’t going to let him do anything, Bec. He had his own decision to make, just like I did. I was fully prepared to fire him when I got back. I could’ve taken everything from him, just like he could have taken everything from me.”

  Alec pulled her close again. “But he didn’t. So I couldn’t justify doing it to him.”

  It all made sense in his head at the time, but now, as he sat here and listened to his wife cry, Alec wasn’t so sure. Should he have said something? Should he have found a way to quietly let Tommy go so neither Rebecca nor Liz would have found out the truth? Was there a way he could have prevented this from happening?

  As if reading his mind, Rebecca lifted her face. “I can’t believe I just broke up a marriage.”

  “You didn’t break up their marriage,” he said, wiping a stray tear from her cheek. “Tommy did that on his own. And besides, Liz would’ve found out eventually. Maybe it’s a blessing in disguise that it came out now instead of afterward.”

  She grimaced like she was going to be sick. “So what happens now?”

  “The only thing that can happen. He already resigned.”

  “He resigned, or you let him go?”

  “I think it’s safe t
o say it was mutual.”

  Rebecca shook her head. “There has to be something we can do. It can’t end like this.”

  “There’s nothing you can do, Bec. His time here is over, and he and I both know that. The only one left to accept it is you.”

  A flash of realization crossed her face. “There is one thing I can do,” she said, abruptly pushing herself to her feet.

  Alec frowned as she strode into the foyer and grabbed her keys. “Where are you going?”

  Rebecca paused just long enough to respond. “I’m going to tell Liz the truth,” was all she said before she vanished out the door.

  *

  Rebecca’s heart was still pounding when she pulled up in front of Liz’s apartment. Two rental cars were parked in the driveway, telling her that Liz’s family was also inside.

  Are you insane? she asked herself for the hundredth time. You’re walking right into the lion’s den.

  Lion’s den or not, she’d made up her mind that this was what she needed to do. At this point nothing she said would probably make any difference, but for her own peace of mind, she had to try. She gathered her courage and marched up the steps to the front door, but before she could knock the door swung wide open.

  Her stomach plummeted as she stared up at the cold, angry eyes of Liz’s father. “Young lady, you have a lot of nerve showing up here.”

  “I know,” she said, trying to keep the wobble out of her voice. “But I need to talk to Liz. There’s been a big misunderstanding.”

  Liz appeared behind her father and shot Rebecca a menacing glare. “What don’t I understand?”

  Rebecca managed not to flinch. “Can I talk to you for just one minute?”

  Liz brushed past her father and stepped outside, yanking the door shut behind her. “Talk,” she hissed.

  She sucked in a deep breath. “I need you to know that nothing has ever happened between me and Tommy. Not once. Not even close.”

  “And why should I believe you?”