A Dark & Stormy Knight: A McKnight Romance (McKnight Romances)

by Quint, Suzie

  He’d bet Daniel was. Had they already talked about it? He’d heard people did that, though he didn’t understand why. You either loved someone enough to marry them or you didn’t. What else was there to talk about?

  God, how would he survive this? The pain made him lash out. “Well, that’s just fine, Georgia. Are you going to tell your friend what you were doing that made you miss his call?”

  Her eyes spit fire at him. Since he’d all but called her a cheat, he had no doubt that, if he’d been within arm’s reach, he’d be wearing her palm print on his face now. Instead, she kicked her horse into a lope and left him behind.

  It was just as well. He’d taken too long to figure out he should court her, and the last thing he wanted was her to see him grieving for what he’d lost.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Sol still hadn’t ridden in when Georgia turned her horse out into the paddock. Normally, she’d have hunted Eden down to say good-bye before she left, but that was a less-than-stellar idea when she was so furious with Sol. She hadn’t meant to be brutal, but he’d made her feel guilty.

  No, that wasn’t true. In the heat of the moment, she had meant it.

  She didn’t like feeling guilty and had let herself be too honest with him, but that was no excuse, she thought as she got in her car and buckled up. Then again, his question had caught her off guard. She’d expected him to ask again why she’d left him. Asking why she’d cried? That only made it worse.

  She stabbed the key into the ignition and started her car.

  And why did she feel as though she’d done something wrong? She hadn’t promised him her future. If anyone deserved her guilty thoughts, wouldn’t it be Daniel? Of course, they were still just friends. They hadn’t made any promises yet, but still . . .

  As she pulled onto the road, she tried to let it go.

  It was a shame the day had ended the way it had. It would have been such a good memory. Why did Daniel have to call at just the wrong moment and ruin it? They’d talked only yesterday and . . . She stopped and double-checked her memory. Yes, they had talked yesterday. They didn’t call each other every day. Their pattern was every two or three days. Was something wrong? It might be something as simple as needing to take Tink to the vet, but there was always the possibility something had happened to Deanne. She hadn’t even looked to see if he’d left a message.

  Georgia was coming up on The Lariat, so she pulled into the parking lot and looked at her phone. He had left a message.

  “Hi. Hoped I’d catch you, but I know you’re busy. Give me a call when you can. Bye.”

  That didn’t sound like bad news, but she was curious now, so she hit the callback button.

  “What’s up?” she asked when he answered.

  “Oh, nothing really.”

  Did he think she didn’t know him at all? Daniel was a guy. He didn’t call just to chat. “Come on, Daniel. Talk to me.”

  “I’ve just been missing you and our heart-to-hearts. That’s all.”

  Something was definitely up. With their daughters being best friends, they’d had their share of heartfelt discussions, but those usually occurred organically. Daniel initiated them only when he was worried he was screwing up as a parent. “You can always talk to me. You know that.”

  He chuckled. “Yeah, I do.”

  “So what’s on your mind?”

  “Lots of things, actually.”

  “Daniel.” She said his name with a warning in her voice that he should stop pussy-footing around.

  “Okay. I’ve been thinking I need to make some changes in my life.”

  “And?”

  “And you know I’ve spent a couple of long weekends with Tracy and Deanne.”

  “Yes.”

  “It’s been really good for me.”

  Normally, that might have panicked her, but Sol had worn her patience too thin for worry to get its foot in the door. “Daniel, if you don’t stop dancing around whatever you want to say, I’m going to reach through this phone and strangle you.”

  He exhaled noisily. “You know, most of the time, I think it’s really great, having a woman friend. Then there are moments like this.” Before she could ask what she’d said wrong, he continued. “You never let me hedge.” His sigh sounded like surrender. “So here’s the deal. I see the changes Tracy’s made in her life, and I realized I’ve been stuck in one place. I’ve been angry at her for so long, I haven’t been able to see past it but, you know, someday Deanne’s going to be gone, and if I don’t want to be a lonely, bitter, old man, I’ve got to do something different.”

  Georgia’s heart started to pound. Could they be on the same page at last? It sounded as though he’d finally gotten closure with Tracy, and now he wanted something different. Something more. He had said he was missing her; maybe this was the moment she’d been waiting for.

  “You know, I don’t think this is something I want to talk about on the phone,” Daniel said. “Would it be a horrible intrusion if I drove over there this weekend?”

  Georgia’s palms were suddenly sweaty. She felt as nervous as a woman whose boyfriend had unexpectedly gone down on one knee. She changed the phone to her other ear, so she could wipe her palm on her jeans.

  “I’d love to see you, but do you really want to drive all that way?” It had to be serious if he wanted to make a three-hour trip.

  “Yeah, I’m sure.”

  Georgia’s heartbeat jumped again. “This can’t wait until I get home?” she asked, testing his resolve.

  “Yeah, it could. But I don’t think I can wait that long.”

  And then, she remembered. “Oh, damn. This is the weekend Eden’s riding in her first rodeo.” First and, God willing, her last. “So I’m sure it’s going to be a bit frantic.” She laughed nervously. “Or maybe that’s me who’ll be frantic.”

  What was she doing? In a week, he could change his mind. She needed to get him on record as wanting a serious relationship. “But you’re still welcome,” she said in a rush. “I’m sure Eden would think it’s cool if you came, and as an added bonus, the rodeo’s only about an hour from Dallas.”

  Daniel sounded relieved. “If you think you could carve out some time for us to talk, I’d love to be there to give Eden moral support. You know how fond I am of her.”

  It was really happening, Georgia thought. And just when she’d almost given up. “Then you should definitely come.”

  “Maybe I can even bring Deanne. I’ll talk to Tracy.”

  “Eden would love that.”

  After they hung up, Georgia realized she’d added a layer of complication to her life. Would Sol be too busy with Eden to cause her any grief over Daniel? She could hope but she wouldn’t count on it.

  At least she wouldn’t have to introduce Daniel to her family. She and Daniel were good together, but they were no Romeo and Juliet. She wasn’t sure Daniel wouldn’t take one look at her family, turn tail, and run for the hills. The Capulets en masse might not have been enough to scare Romeo off, but he’d probably have thought twice if he’d ever met Juliet’s mother.

  ###

  Sol hadn’t spoken to Georgia since their ride, so he was surprised when she showed up Saturday morning and sought him out. He’d expected her to hang out with Daisy and Eden as they prepped the horse trailer, not come looking for him out at the corral where he and his brothers were loading bulls into the stock limo, an eighteen-wheeler with a stock trailer the McKnights shared with one of their neighbors.

  A tip of her head had him following her far enough from the others that they could expect some privacy. She took a deep breath before starting.

  Now what? he thought, recognizing the signal that this wasn’t going to be an easy conversation.

  “You know Deanne is Eden’s best friend, right?”

  “Kinda hard to miss. They talk nearly every day.”

  “Daniel is Deanne’s father.” Georgia watched him with cautious eyes. “He wants to show his support for Eden, so he’s coming today.�
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  Great. Just fucking great.

  “I’d really appreciate it if you could be on your best behavior,” Georgia said. “If you won’t do that for me, do it for Eden. She doesn’t need our drama distracting her today.”

  Dammit. She was right. He’d been hanging on to his anger because, if he let it go, he was afraid of what he’d feel. Afraid he’d go down on his knees and beg Georgia not to marry some other bozo. But as good as it would feel to let go on Daniel, it would only hurt Eden. He worked his jaw, looking for a way to agree that didn’t make him feel like a wuss. “All right. I’ll behave. As long as you don’t rub my nose in it.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Don’t thank me. I ain’t doing this for you.”

  Georgia nodded glumly. “Thank you anyway,” she said before she turned and walked away.

  He felt as if she were walking away forever.

  ###

  Georgia joined Daisy and Eden. She sat back and watched, impressed with how Daisy included Eden in every step. Together, they secured the pads on the walls of the trailer that would protect the mare.

  It was as if Georgia hadn’t seen her daughter in months and now saw her through fresh eyes. Eden wasn’t just growing up. She was maturing.

  As proud as it made Georgia, she also felt a twinge of the same emotion Sol had been suffering, that sense that her time with Eden was running out. Was she too late to shape what her daughter would expect from the boys she dated? If she’d only realized sooner what she needed to do. But she couldn’t change the past. She’d do what she could now and hope it made a difference.

  As Zach pulled the stock limo out onto the road, Sol and Gideon joined them at the horse trailer. Sol’s greeting was brief, almost curt, but not so much that it caught either Eden’s or Daisy’s attention. Of course, Georgia suspected a bomb blast might not have broken their focus.

  Sol and Gideon busied themselves double-checking the pickup’s roadworthiness, but Georgia saw it as a convenient excuse for Sol to ignore her.

  She offered to help Daisy, but her assistance was turned down. Sol’s sister was determined to handle as many of the logistics for Spitfire’s debut as she could. Daisy even tried to convince her brothers to let her drive the transport trailer to the rodeo. They said no—a little too loudly, Georgia thought—but she was secretly relieved. She didn’t think she was being sexist in doubting that Daisy could handle the pickup-trailer combo. After all, the girl was only eighteen, and she looked too fragile to manhandle anything bigger than a toy tractor.

  When she discovered later that Daisy had acquired the nickname Crash shortly after she’d gotten her driver’s license, Georgia stopped feeling disloyal to her sex. Only one of Daisy’s “little mishaps” had been a real accident, Gideon told her as they watched Sol pull the trailer up to the horse barn where Eden waited with Spitfire, but they happened with a regularity that worried the family. Georgia was glad she’d insisted Eden ride with her.

  Spitfire turned out to be an easy loader, and before Georgia knew it, they were ready to go. Gideon waved a so-long as they pulled out of the ranch with Daisy riding shotgun in the pickup next to Sol. Georgia and Eden followed in her Kia.

  “I’ve got a surprise for you,” Georgia said when they were on the freeway.

  “What?”

  “Daniel’s coming to show his support.”

  Eden lit up. “Is he bringing Deanne?”

  “I don’t know. He said he’d try.”

  Eden’s smile went neon.

  “I said, ‘try,’“ Georgia cautioned. “If she’s not there, don’t make Daniel feel bad because you’re disappointed. He’s really excited for you. And we haven’t seen him all summer.”

  Eden nodded. “Yes, Mama.” She spent a thoughtful moment. “I’m glad he’ll be there to see me ride.”

  “You’ve been talking to Deanne, haven’t you?”

  Eden nodded.

  “How is she getting along with her mother?”

  “Good.”

  Georgia reached across the console to squeeze the ticklish spot on Eden’s knee. “Hey. You’re not a teenager yet. Talk to me.”

  Eden giggled and pushed Georgia’s hand away.

  “Tell me what your BFF’s been doing.”

  Eden started chattering about Deanne’s visit with her mother and how she was getting to know her maternal grandparents better.

  “Daniel’s been there a few times,” Georgia said. “How’s that gone?”

  “She said it was weird at first, but it’s good now.”

  Why was everyone so hard to get information from?

  Georgia let Eden plug in a CD. With a start, she recognized the music as John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band, an old, underappreciated, rock group Daniel liked and had introduced his daughter—and by extension Eden—to.

  So maybe it wasn’t something monumental like Eden adopting high expectations of how a boy should treat her, but as her daughter bebopped along to the music, Georgia realized Eden was paying attention to this great guy and seeing value in the things he had to share. Eden was lucky to have Daniel in her life. They both were.

  And things were about to get so much better. They would still have their friendship but with an added romantic element. They’d date. Eew. She wrinkled her nose. Dating felt so . . . high school. People dated to get to know each other. She and Daniel were already past that.

  So maybe they’d court. That was an old-fashioned term, but she liked it better than dating. Plus, courting implied marriage as the objective. Georgia liked that and she hoped, with Daniel’s changed attitude, he’d like it, too. She felt a twinge at the thought of kissing him in front of Eden and Deanne. How weird would that be? She shook off the twinge. They’d get used to it.

  Then of course there would be sex. The kiss-and-grope months before had been awkward the next day, but it had been nice at the time. Ugh. Nice. There was that word Sol found so objectionable. That really was the only thing she and Daniel didn’t know about each other, though—their sexual compatibility.

  Then in a few months—six at the most, she thought—they’d get engaged, and a few months later, married. A small wedding would be nice. Something in someone’s backyard maybe. Nothing fancy but more than she and Sol had had.

  Then they’d start their married life, which would be full of . . . This was where her imagination failed her. Tracy had stayed home with Deanne, but Daniel’s daughter was older now. He certainly wouldn’t expect Georgia to stay home. She’d be bored out of her mind in two weeks.

  Georgia had never met Daniel’s ex-wife, but she’d heard some of Daniel’s horror stories about her drinking. He rarely talked about the good times they must have had. If Tracy stayed sober, she would be part of Deanne’s life. That meant she would have an impact on Georgia’s life with Daniel. Sober Tracy had to be a notably better person than drunk Tracy, didn’t she?

  Would they have to accommodate Tracy’s opinions about child rearing? Georgia was going to have enough on her hands coping with Daniel’s. He was by nature lax with rules. When she’d met him, he’d been more interested in being his daughter’s friend than being her parent. He still leaned toward permissiveness because he felt guilty that Deanne’s mother wasn’t there. He let Deanne do things that, in Georgia’s opinion, she was too young for. Like makeup. Georgia had no problem with Eden getting into her makeup on rare occasions and experimenting since she still treated it like another, older version of dress-up. But wearing it in public? No. Eden was too young. She wasn’t ready for the attention she would get if she looked fifteen and neither was Georgia.

  Everything would work out, though. She and Daniel might have things to resolve, but at least none of them involved rodeos.

  ###

  It seemed to take forever for them to sort everything out when they arrived at the rodeo grounds, but at long last, the trailer was parked in a row with similar vehicles. Georgia and Sol hung back, letting Daisy call the shots. This was her show. Hers and Eden’s.
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  The gate on the back of the trailer converted to a ramp when dropped. It was heavy enough that Georgia’s muscles kept tensing, wanting to help Daisy and Eden lower it to the ground. “Get your horse,” Daisy said with a smile that bestowed ownership responsibilities on Eden.

  Eden wiped her palms on the thighs of her jeans. Could anyone else see her nervousness, or was that part of the mama-superpower package? It didn’t take a wizard to see that Eden wanted to do everything flawlessly, to be worthy of the trust Daisy gave her.

  Moments later, Eden had Spitfire’s lead in hand as she led the mare out of the trailer onto the loading ramp. She had just reached the bottom when, behind Georgia, a long, shrill squeal started.

  “Eeeeeeeden!”

  Deanne had arrived.

  Eden’s head came up, a wide grin already stretching across her face.

  In that moment, did she flinch? Maybe jerk Spitfire’s lead? Take a step to the side to catch sight of her friend? Georgia couldn’t be sure. Everything happened so fast. Spitfire was too close to the edge of the ramp. The mare’s right front hoof stepped off the edge, dropping several unexpected inches to the ground.

  Eden’s attention snapped back as Spitfire stumbled. Daisy leaped forward, her hand closing over Eden’s on the lead. She guided the mare back onto the ramp, but even Georgia could see the horse was favoring her leg.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Once Daisy had all four of Spitfire’s feet on solid ground, she bent and ran her hand down the leg until she reached the hot-pink fetlock wrap.

  Georgia felt removed from the activity around her, almost as though their small group had been lifted out of the time and place they’d occupied only moments before. She could still hear the people around them, talking, laughing, calling greetings, and the jingle of harnesses, the clomp of horses’ feet, the occasional whinny, but it was all distant. She didn’t have to look to know Sol and Eden were as focused as she was on Daisy and Spitfire, that they waited with caught breath, as she did, for a clue about how bad the damage was.