The Cowboy's Secret

by Jill Kemerer

  “Moving is my last resort.” She picked a piece of pepperoni off the plate and popped it in her mouth. The fact moving wasn’t at the top of her list reassured him.

  “What would be your first resort—you know, if the sky was the limit?”

  “Sky’s the limit?” A dreamy smile lit her entire face. “I suppose I’d buy the inn myself. Then I wouldn’t have to worry about someone coming in and firing me or making my life miserable.”

  “Would you want the responsibility that comes with it?” From what he could tell, she’d fit into the role well.

  “Yes, I would. I love the place. I would renovate the rooms—you know, freshen it up. Make it as inviting as possible. Babs has given me a lot of freedom, so I already know what works and what doesn’t.”

  “You love your job, don’t you?”

  “I do. I’d hate to give it up for any reason.”

  What if he made sure she didn’t have to give it up? The inn was getting a new owner, whether Nolan bought it or not. Gabby knew the place inside and out. And Dylan had the funds to make it happen.

  He wanted to buy it for her.

  He glanced at Phoebe smearing her hands on the tray. “You make it look easy, Gabby.”

  “What?” She blinked rapidly, and the vulnerability in her expression touched him.

  “Being a mother and having a successful career.”

  “Is that a problem?”

  “No, not at all.” He shook his head. “I admire it about you. I could have used some of your gumption last year.”

  “When you were traveling?”

  “No.” He was ready to show her the side of himself that embarrassed him—the self-centered one who’d let down his brother. “After Dad sold the company and my girlfriend dumped me, I pretty much didn’t leave my place for two weeks. I was miserable. And, I can admit it now, I was stuck in a pity party of epic proportions. Sam called and I didn’t answer.”

  “I get it. I can throw myself a mean pity party, too.”

  “But if I would have taken the call...” He lifted his gaze to the ceiling briefly. “I didn’t know he had a drug problem. What if he was reaching out for help? What if I had taken the call and said something that would have stopped him from OD’ing?”

  Compassion swam in her gray eyes. “It wasn’t your fault, Dylan.”

  He sucked in a breath. He wanted to believe her. “I don’t know.”

  “I do. Some things are in our control and some things aren’t. You no more forced Sam to take drugs than I caused the tear in Allison’s heart. I hate that they’re gone. Hate that we lost them. But it won’t do either of us any good to wallow in regrets.”

  His chest tightened, and a lump formed in his throat as her words sank in and soothed the deepest part of him. He reached across the table and covered her hand with his. “You really think so?”

  “I know so.” Her eyes shimmered with appreciation. “This world is full of trouble. But Jesus overcame the world—for you and me and Sam and Allison.”

  It was as if a heavy, rusty weight lifted off his heart. For the first time since Sam’s death, he started to believe he wasn’t to blame.

  His gaze fell to her lips. Why couldn’t he look away?

  “Do you want to go to the Fourth of July Fest with me?” he blurted out.

  “I planned on going...” She lowered her eyelashes. “Babs offered to watch the baby, but you probably want to spend time with Phoebe, too.”

  “Babs can watch Phoebe.”

  “You want to be with me? Just me?” Wariness crept into her features.

  “Yes.” He braced himself for her rejection.

  “Like a date?”

  “Yeah, a date.”

  “I don’t date cowboys.” The words sounded weak.

  The smart thing to do would be to distance himself emotionally, but he wasn’t ready to slink away and do everything by her rules. Not anymore. He hadn’t asserted himself with his father, and he regretted it. He didn’t want to make the same mistake with Gabby.

  “Could you make an exception?” he asked. “Just this once?”

  Silence filled the room. Then she sighed.

  “I don’t know, Dylan. I don’t think it’s smart. I mean, you told me you’re going to be here a month, and the month is almost over. You haven’t mentioned what you’re doing after you leave.”

  She didn’t sugarcoat things, that was for sure.

  “Stu told me I could stay on permanently.” His chest burned as he thought of making Rendezvous permanent. He wanted it. Badly.

  “If you stayed, what would you do? Be Stu’s ranch hand indefinitely? Do you have goals? Plans? Dreams?”

  Goals. Plans. Dreams. His spirits fell. He wasn’t enough for her. Dad hadn’t thought he was ambitious enough, either. Nor had Robin.

  An apology clung to his lips—the assurance that of course he wanted to be more than a ranch hand—but the words refused to come out.

  God, I’m tired of trying to fit into a mold that isn’t me.

  He wasn’t going to. Not anymore.

  “I like being a ranch hand. It suits me.” Had he really said those words? “Riding out, checking fence, moving cattle with Stu is exactly what I’m supposed to be doing.”

  He might as well head to the door now. She’d never accept a mere ranch hand as suitable dating material. If he told her he wanted to own a ranch, maybe then she’d think he was worthy.

  “So you’re not chasing the dream of owning your own ranch?”

  “No.” As much as he wanted to impress her, he wasn’t going to. He’d found his authentic self by helping Stu, and he refused to deny it. At this point in his life, owning a ranch would do nothing for him.

  “You’re not like anyone I’ve ever met.” She framed her chin in the crook between her thumb and index finger. “What if the pay doesn’t meet your needs?”

  It would be the perfect time to tell her his needs would be met a thousand times over for the rest of his life.

  Tell her the truth. You know you have to.

  A cold sweat broke out on the back of his neck.

  He wasn’t ready. He needed to prepare—to figure out the right words.

  “I don’t need much.” It was true. But the sinking feeling in his gut proved he shouldn’t have taken the easy way out.

  Seconds ticked by.

  “Okay, I’ll go with you to the festival.” Her determined chin rose. “Just so we’re clear—I will be your date.”

  He had to be missing something. He’d told her his life goal was to be a ranch hand—a cowboy—and she’d changed her mind about dating him? She’d said yes?

  It was his turn to stand. He walked over to her, tipped her chin up and stared into her eyes. Fire, fear and excitement glittered within them.

  This woman—he didn’t know a woman like her existed. Passionate, selfless, caring, generous. He clenched his jaw.

  He loved her.

  He was absolutely head over heels in love with this woman.

  “I’m going to kiss you.” His voice was low as he watched her reaction. It wouldn’t do to scare her off, not when she’d finally opened up enough to let him in.

  “I’m not going to stop you.” Her words were all bravado, and he could see the previous hurts and questions in her eyes.

  He slid his palms up her biceps oh so gently and cupped her face. Slowly, he lowered his lips to hers. He sucked in a breath at the sweetness of them. Then he pressed her closer to him, savoring her supple frame in his arms, the softness of her lips, the rightness of them together.

  He’d been waiting for this moment his entire life.

  Her arms crept around his neck, and her hand caressed the back of it. The kiss ebbed and flowed, and he wanted to convey how much she meant to him.

  Gabby Stover was more than he deserved
. She was more than any man deserved.

  When he finally broke away, he moved his hands down to her slim waist.

  “Well, then...” Her cheeks were flushed, and she looked shell-shocked.

  “Yeah.” His voice was gravelly. He had so much to say to her and no words to say it.

  She smoothed her hair with shaky fingers. “Let’s get Phoebe cleaned up and take a walk down at the park. I want to soak in all the summer I can.”

  He wouldn’t argue with that.

  Between now and the festival next Saturday, he had to talk to Stu about staying. He also had to tell Gabby the truth about his money. And he’d better call his lawyer to find out the best way forward to purchase the inn.

  And somewhere in there he had to tell her more...that he loved her.

  Was the timing wrong, though?

  He’d gotten Gabby to agree to a date, and he didn’t want to scare her off with the L-word. He’d talk to Stu and Ed this week, but Gabby?

  He’d wait to confess his net worth and love for her until after the festival. One more week wouldn’t hurt a thing.

  * * *

  This changed everything.

  Gabby stood on her balcony later that night and touched her fingers to her lips for the thousandth time. Dylan had kissed her! And she’d wanted him to. Because he’d opened up to her about his guilt over Sam. And then, he’d shocked her by explaining his job at Stu’s was exactly what he was meant to do. She’d expected him to spin wild dreams about owning a huge cattle ranch and what he’d buy after he’d made it big. Her daddy and Carl had always been chasing fantasies ending in riches.

  Dylan wasn’t like them.

  And if he wasn’t like them, there was no reason she shouldn’t date him.

  He’d been reliable, honest and trustworthy since he’d arrived in Rendezvous.

  Babs was right—she could be open to the possibility of a future with Dylan. She certainly thought about him enough. Like all the time—at work, at home—and after that kiss, she doubted she’d get to sleep tonight.

  The stars above twinkled, reminding her of last week when she’d met Eden out at the clearing. She’d checked on her a few times, and thankfully, Eden seemed to be back to herself.

  Gabby took out her phone and texted her. Dylan kissed me today.

  The reply was instant. What?

  Yeah, and we’re going to the Fourth of July Fest together. As a date.

  No way! That’s great!

  She hesitated before texting what was on her mind.

  Do you think I can trust him? What if he ends up being a lying jerk?

  A few moments passed before Eden replied. I think you’re strong enough to take the chance. If he’s a lying jerk, you’ll deal with it. If not, you might have found your dream man.

  Tears pricked the backs of her eyes.

  Thanks, Eden. I needed that.

  A smiley emoji appeared.

  She set the phone down and enjoyed the light breeze on her face. As much as she’d tried to protect her heart, she’d failed. Big-time. Eden was right. Whatever happened with Dylan, she’d deal with it—good or bad.

  She’d already fallen in love with him.

  It was hard to admit, but it was impossible to deny.

  Chicken and biscuits, she’d fallen in love with a cowboy.

  Chapter Twelve

  This had been the best week of his life.

  Dylan held Gabby’s hand as they strolled past food trucks and dodged children waving American flags. They’d already watched the Fourth of July parade with its line of fire trucks, floats, cowboys and cowgirls riding horseback and the Rendezvous high school marching band cranking out tunes. He was ready to make this town his permanent home.

  “Let’s get a picture before we eat.” He tugged her to stand in front of a banner with the American flag, and they mugged for the camera on his phone before continuing on. “What are you hungry for?”

  “Ribs sound good.” Gabby pointed to a long line wrapping around a trailer advertising barbecue.

  The red, white and blue theme was everywhere. Little flags had been stuck in the ground, patriotic banners were strung across the food trucks and even the picnic tables had red tablecloths.

  “What time did you say the baseball game starts?” They’d decided to watch the local team play this afternoon. Later, when it got dark, they were joining the rest of the town to watch the fireworks display. “Do we have time?”

  “Plenty of time.” She held his hand as they walked. “It doesn’t start for another hour.”

  He’d spent every evening except Tuesday this week with Gabby and Phoebe. They’d talked about their dreams and Phoebe’s future. She wanted Phoebe to have a good education, lots of love and faith in the Lord, not in that order. He wanted the same.

  He’d been tempted to blurt out the truth a few times, but until he had his plans lined up, he’d remain silent. He hoped Stu would still want to employ him when he told him who he really was. His wealthy background wouldn’t matter, would it?

  Acid chewed his stomach lining. He’d talked to his lawyer at length. Hopefully, when he told Gabby his real identity, the legal documents Ed had prepared would soften the shock.

  Would she be mad? Hate him? She wouldn’t hold a little thing like money against him, would she?

  He was making mountains out of molehills. It wasn’t as if he was a completely different person. So he had money. Lots of it. Big deal. There were worse things he could be—like a murderer or an embezzler.

  But his conscience goaded him.

  He had to tell her soon.

  “Dylan?”

  He and Gabby both turned at the high-pitched, feminine voice.

  “Dylan Kingsley?” A petite blonde wearing a cowboy hat, sundress and cowboy boots rushed over. He froze. Amanda Bethel. Daughter of real-estate moguls James and Elizabeth Bethel. She’d been a key member in his group of college friends. Her smile lit her face. “It’s been forever! How are you? I can’t believe I’m bumping into you here.”

  Should he pretend he didn’t know her? Of course not. He wasn’t that immature.

  “Amanda.” He’d be polite, keep it short and nudge her on her way. “Good to see you.”

  “You, too. Oh, this is my husband, Jack.” She twined her hand around the guy’s arm. The tall, tanned man looked to be in his early thirties. “Dylan and I went to Texas A&M together. Bree, Charlotte and I used to hang out with him and his frat brothers all the time. We had so much fun. Remember skiing in Aspen over Christmas break sophomore year? And I will never forget the month in Paris and Rome with the crew. Do you ever talk to Travis and Dalton?”

  “Uh, no, I don’t.” Too much information—Amanda was throwing out way too much information. He couldn’t even look at Gabby for fear of what he’d see. “When did you get married? Have you been in town long? Did you see the old car show? You don’t want to miss it.” He pointed in the direction of the park.

  “We’re newlyweds! And no, we just arrived today. Hey, I’m sorry to hear your dad died.” She frowned, then turned to her husband. “Jack, your mother probably worked with him. Kenneth Kingsley.”

  “Oh, right. King Energy,” Jack said, looking bored. “Yes, I remember she did a few projects with your father over the years.”

  Did they have to spell out everything in his past? This was a disaster. A complete disaster.

  “Are you getting in line?” Amanda asked. “We’ll join you. Then we can catch up.” She flashed her perfect smile toward Gabby. “By the way, I’m Amanda. Are you and Dylan together?”

  * * *

  Gabby stared at the gorgeous woman who’d practically pranced over to them. For once she had no words. Who was this woman with her designer bag and expensive boots? And more importantly, who was the man Gabby had fallen in love with?

  The Dylan Kingsley
she knew was not the Dylan Kingsley Amanda was greeting.

  Had he gone to Texas A&M? Was his father the owner of King Energy, one of the largest energy companies in the country? If he was, why had Dylan let her believe he was just any guy breezing into town?

  Had Dylan been lying to her all this time?

  Why?

  Why would he do that?

  “Amanda, this is Gabby Stover. Gabby, Amanda—” He frowned. “You’re married now. What is your last name?”

  Her laugh tinkled. “Turner. Amanda Turner. We got married last month, and we’re working our way to Yellowstone as part of our honeymoon summer.”

  Gabby dug her fingernails into her palms. Honeymoon summer? Was this woman for real? Who had the money to take an entire summer off for their honeymoon? As the pit in her stomach grew to gaping proportions, Gabby tried to come up with a reasonable explanation for Dylan to be the person Amanda seemed to think he was.

  She couldn’t think of a single one.

  “It was really good to run into you, but we have to go or we’ll be late. We have, ah, plans.” Dylan took Gabby’s arm and waved to the couple. “Have fun.”

  She let him lead her away as her head spun. This couldn’t be happening—not after such an amazing week. Dylan had stopped by almost every night, and she’d let herself think of them as a couple—a real couple with a future. He’d been terrific with Phoebe, playing with her, changing her, holding her. And Gabby had loved every minute of it. They’d laughed and talked about the future. He’d helped her forget about her job and Allison being gone and Carl’s betrayal and her dad’s selfish ways.

  She’d let herself trust him.

  They were almost to the parking lot where Dylan had left his truck. When they reached the tailgate, he finally dropped her hand and stood in front of her. Every muscle in his body seemed to be locked in place, except for his facial muscles—his expression? Pure agony.

  And still, she had no words. It might have been the first time in her life she couldn’t form a sentence.