Rancher's Deadly Reunion

by Beth Cornelison

  “What?” Piper asked in mock surprise. “Zane and Josh won’t go on spa days with you?”

  Her mother’s face split with a wide grin. “Oh! A spa day. That sounds wonderful! Will you have time to go into Denver for facials and pedicures before you leave? My treat!”

  Piper choked on a laugh. “I didn’t mean... Mom, when did I ever do girly stuff growing up? You know I don’t—”

  Her mother’s crestfallen expression broke her heart, and she swallowed the rest of her dismissal. Instead, she wrapped her mother in a hug and squeezed her tight. “Okay. For you, I will let someone buff my calluses and paint my toenails.” She levered back from her mom. “And I’m leaving my hairstyle up to you tonight. Just don’t go crazy with the hairspray. Okay?”

  The delight that filled her mother’s face was reward enough. “Oh, thank you, sweetheart! Wait right here. I’m going to get my curlers and bobby pins.”

  As her mother hurried out, Piper spotted Zeke back at the wastebasket, his raised paw trying to tip the can over. “No!” She shooed the cat away, chuckling. “You are certainly stubborn like a McCall, furball.” She picked up Zeke and deposited him gently in the hall. “Go on. No men allowed while I dress.”

  She returned to the bedroom, giving the strand of pearls another admiring glance before snapping the box closed and sliding it onto her crowded dresser top. In the process, she managed to knock off a music box Brady had given her for Christmas the last year they were dating. The lid flipped open when the music box landed sideways on the floor, and the tinkling notes of John Denver’s “Annie’s Song” played into the quiet room.

  Piper froze, the notes like poignant daggers to her heart. The music box had been his mother’s. Brady had called the tune their song because the words expressed how he felt about Piper. She had been unfamiliar with the song, and Brady had had to pull out Roy’s dusty cassette tapes and play the oldie for her.

  “John Denver was my mom’s favorite. Dad hasn’t listened to any of these since she died,” he’d explained. “But I remember her singing this one, and now it makes me think of you.”

  Now, standing in her bedroom, hearing the music that had moved her so deeply took her back to the first time she’d heard the romantic words and sweet melody. To the swell of love she’d felt toward Brady for his sentimental gift. Their future together had seemed so certain, so bright, so full of love and cherished moments to come.

  Her knees buckled, and she sank to the floor as the sting of moisture rushed to her eyes. Crawling toward the fallen music box on trembling arms, she allowed the torrent of tears to flow and chest-racking sobs to break. The last few days had tested her ability to bottle up the memories and keep up the pretense that she didn’t miss Brady with every breath. The strain her family was under thanks to the financial worries, the threat of some unknown vandal whose attacks had escalated...

  It was all too much. She sat on the floor, ugly crying, and reached for the music box. Torn between closing the lid to shut off the heartbreaking tune or letting it play to educe the bittersweet ache that had simmered in her soul for years, she stared without seeing at the dried flowers preserved in the box’s glass walls and lid.

  “Okay, I think I’ve got everything I’ll need,” her mother said breezily as she returned. “I can—” Her gasp cut her off. “Piper? What in the world...?” She deposited the armload of hair products and beauty tools on Piper’s bed and crouched beside her. “What’s wrong?”

  Turning to her mother, she held out the music box with a trembling hand. “B-Brady gave me this.”

  “I know.” Her mother lowered her bottom to the floor and scooted closer to Piper. “I remember.” She tucked Piper’s hair behind her ear and knuckled a tear from her daughter’s cheek. “Why the tears?”

  Piper waved the music box. “It fell and s-started playing. I j-just...”

  Her mother took the music box from Piper and, flipping the lid closed to silence the tinkling notes, set the box aside. “Talk to me, baby. What’s going on?”

  Piper draped her arms around her mother’s neck and buried her face on her shoulder. “It hurts, Mom. It still hurts so much.”

  “Of course it hurts. You still love him.”

  Heart pounding, Piper jerked her head up and gaped at her mother.

  “I don’t—”

  Her mother caught Piper’s chin with her fingers and narrowed a warning look on her. “Don’t you dare try to lie to me by denying it. I’ve seen the way you still look at him.”

  Piper’s heart seized with panic. What had her mother seen? Was she really that transparent? What else might she have given away in her expressions or body language without knowing?

  Her mother drew her eyebrows together. “And don’t think I don’t know that he’s the reason you come home so rarely.”

  “I—Mom, it’s...complicated.”

  “Psh,” her mother dismissed, pulling Piper close again and rubbing her back as she held her. “Life is only as complicated as you choose to make it. With most things, you can narrow your choices down to basic priorities. What matters the most to you? Love? Family? Money? Happiness?”

  Piper groaned. “That’s a great slogan for a T-shirt, Mom, but kinda oversimplifying the reality. There are things you don’t know about why Brady and I split up. Things I’ve never told anyone.”

  “Anything you want to share now? Clearly, keeping it bottled up hasn’t been working too well for you.”

  Piper tensed. She needed to tell her mother the truth about Connor. She was bound to find out sooner or later, and the shock and hurt her parents would feel wouldn’t be eased by waiting. But now wasn’t the time. She didn’t want to spoil her mother’s evening, a celebration her parents had every right to savor.

  “I...will. But n-not now.” She swallowed hard, feeling as if she had a fish bone stuck in her throat.

  “All right,” her mother said and sighed. “I won’t push. But remember this—life is too short and full of the unexpected to waste even a minute harboring regrets. Forgive yourself for mistakes, let go of past hurts, and...don’t ignore the opportunities right under your nose to be truly happy.”

  Piper sniffed and gave her mother an ironic laugh. “Subtle, Mom.”

  “So sue me for wanting my daughter to be happy. And I have never seen you as happy as you were when you were with Brady.” She leaned back and thumbed another tear off Piper’s cheek, then holding her damp digit up for Piper to see. “Or as miserable since you went your separate ways.”

  Grunting her frustration, Piper tried to pull away. “Not helping, Mom.”

  Melissa angled her head and twisted her mouth in a moue of disagreement. “Oh, I get it. You want me to pat you on the back and help you justify walking away from the man you love.” She placed her hand under her chin, patting her cheek with her index finger as if thinking hard. “Okay. Let’s see... Well, he’s certainly not good-looking or kindhearted. And he’s definitely lazy—”

  Piper clenched her teeth, frustrated with her mother’s persistence. And the heartrending truth she illuminated with her sarcasm.

  “And he’s humorless and dishonest and probably not very—”

  “Mom!” She shot her mother an angry glare that instantly dissolved into a new round of heaving sobs.

  “I’m sorry, Piper, but I can’t pretend that Brady is somehow a mistake for you. I want you to be happy, of course, but I—”

  “I kissed him.”

  Her mother fell silent and blinked her surprise. “Well... I don’t see why that’s a problem. If you still love him—”

  “I don’t!” Piper shook her head, then amended, “I can’t. I mean... I don’t want to care so much about him, because it hurts, but... Oh, jeez, Mom, it’s so complicated.”

  “So you’ve said.” Her mother squeezed Piper’s hand. “You’ve always needed order and logic. It’s your left-brai
n way of processing information. But love isn’t about logic, darling.”

  “The question of loving Brady isn’t the problem, Mom. I—” Piper met the loving smile her mother gave her, and before she could stop them, words started tumbling from her tongue. The secrets that she’d kept busted free like a wild stallion kicking down a stable door. “I got pregnant, Mom. In high school, before I left for college, and I had the baby in Boston. That’s why I didn’t come home for so long during my freshman year. I couldn’t. I didn’t want you to know how terribly I’d let you down.”

  Her mother’s eyes widened, and her face paled. “Piper?”

  “Wait, there’s more.” She tried to swallow, but her mouth was arid as she forged on. “I gave the baby away, Mom. I didn’t tell Brady what I’d done and—the baby was his—”

  Her mother pulled a face that said the last had been understood.

  “And, well, I couldn’t face him all these years because of what I’d done. I felt so guilty, and then...” She paused only long enough to draw another breath. “Connor... Connor is my son. Mine and Brady’s. I didn’t know. Scott and Pam didn’t tell Brady. He didn’t know until they died and he found a letter Scott had written him and—” She felt a knot back up the air in her lungs. “Oh, God, Mom, I have a son. We have a son. Brady and I. Connor is... I don’t know what to do!”

  Her mother looked poleaxed for a moment, but she took a few breaths and looked Piper straight in the eye. “You will love your son. That’s what you will do.”

  Piper exhaled harshly. “I know. But...how? And what does it mean for me and Brady? Do I try to get shared custody? Do I pretend I don’t know and let Brady raise him by himself? That seems to be what Scott and Pam intended. What do I tell Connor? What do—”

  Her mother pulled her into a tight hug and shushed her. “Whoa, baby. Slow down.” She gave a stiff laugh. “I just learned that I have a grandson, and I need a moment to savor that before we solve world hunger and plan your entire future.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to spoil today for you, what with your party tonight and—”

  “Spoil it?” Her mother pushed her to arm’s length, laughing even as her eyes grew teary. “You gave me the best gift today I could ever have hoped for! I’m a grandmother to a precious little boy. However this plays out between you and Brady, that fact remains, and I cherish it.”

  “You’re not mad at me?” Piper bit her bottom lip and winced. Why was it that no matter how old she got, she still wanted, needed, her parents’ approval?

  Her mother’s expression sobered, and she was clearly choosing her words carefully. “No. Not mad. I’m...hurt that you didn’t trust us, trust enough in our love for you and our ability to help and support you through anything to tell us sooner.”

  She lowered her gaze as her mother continued, “I’m disappointed in the choices you made throughout, but...”

  When Piper’s shoulders drooped, her mother put a hand under her chin and nudged Piper’s face back up. “Look at me, honey, and listen. Hear me. You were young. You were scared. You had limited life experience to deal with the very adult situation you got yourself in. We all make mistakes, and we all have to live with the consequences of our choices. Maturity means doing better when you learn better. Don’t beat yourself up over Brady or Connor or how it all played out. What matters now is now.”

  Piper rolled her eyes. “And we are back to the original question. What do I do now?”

  Her mother was silent for a moment, her expression reflecting her deep thought and concern for Piper. “Trust your instincts. Deep down, you know what is best for you. Trust your heart. Don’t let fear stand in the way of your honest feelings and your chance to be happy. And trust your family this time. Know that we are with you and will support you and love you through whatever happens.”

  Melissa leaned forward to press a kiss to Piper’s forehead. “Now, we both need to pull ourselves together and get ready for the party. Huh?”

  Piper nodded. The party. She needed to collect herself and finish dressing for the party. Where she’d see Brady again. A little shiver rolled through her.

  You better get used to seeing Brady from now on, a voice in her head warned. You share a child, so you share a future, whether it is spent together or not.

  * * *

  Brady ran a finger under the collar of his shirt, wishing he could loosen his tie. He’d never been cut out to wear a monkey suit like some white-collar stiff. Seeing the McCall brothers approaching, drinks in hand, he quit fidgeting and nodded a greeting.

  “Right there with ya, bro.” Zane slapped him on the back and handed him a cold bottle of beer. “We appreciate the sacrifice for our parents’ sake.”

  “More specifically, our mom’s sake. Dad’s humoring her with this dress-up business.” Josh took a pull of his beer and surveyed the room that was filling with friends and family. “If Dad had his way, this shindig would be barbecue with a bonfire, and the closest thing to an hors d’oeuvre would be those little pig-in-a-blanket things made from cocktail weenies.”

  “Oh, those are great!” Zane said and patted his stomach. “Man, I could go for some of those about now.”

  Brady grinned and nodded. “I’m with you there.”

  Josh raised his beer. “To cocktail weenies.”

  The three laughed and clinked bottles. As Brady took a large swig of his brew, Piper entered the living room from the front hall. Brady sucked in a sharp breath at the sight of her, managing to inhale beer into his lungs. Covering his mouth to avoid spraying his mouthful, he choked the beer down, then resigned himself to a paroxysm of clumsy coughing.

  Josh laughed and pounded his back. “Whoa. You all right? Remember how I told you not to drink and breathe at the same time? This is why.”

  Brady flashed a half smile as the brothers guffawed, and he continued coughing.

  “Funny,” he rasped, keeping his eyes on Piper as she drifted from one fawning guest to another. Clearly, he wasn’t the only one enraptured by the formfitting dress and high heels that made her legs look especially long and shapely. Most every man in the room turned to stare as Piper made her way across the floor toward him.

  “Day-um,” Zane drawled, but Brady only half listened as Piper’s brothers bantered.

  “What?”

  “I think I know why our friend here forgot how to drink. Look what just walked in.”

  After a pause in the brothers’ exchange, Josh echoed his brother. “Day-um is right. Who knew she cleaned up so well?”

  Brady wiped his hands, damp from the beer bottle’s condensation, and cleared his throat one last time following his coughing fit. Piper’s eyes held his, her expression anxious as she strolled nearer.

  “When did she become a girl?” Zane asked.

  “I don’t know, but I don’t like it. We may have to punch some faces before tonight’s over. Do you see how Hannigan’s looking at her?”

  Zane growled his disapproval, a low rumbling that echoed how Brady felt about the male attention Piper was receiving. Then Zane nudged his brother with his elbow and jerked his head, signaling they should leave. “Careful, Summers,” he said. “Remember, that’s our sister.”

  As the two edged away, Josh’s expression read Yeah. What he said.

  Piper frowned and slowed her steps when she saw her brothers depart. Too late to politely change course, she approached Brady and asked, “Was it something I said?”

  “Not exactly. More like what you wore.”

  Wariness filled her eyes, and she cast a quick glance down, smoothing her hands over her dress as if searching for a flaw she’d overlooked. “What’s wrong with how I’m dressed?”

  He gave her a slow smile, his heart swelling as he studied her up close. She smelled as heavenly as she looked, and the sheer glimmer of lip gloss made her mouth look as ripe and sweet as raspberries. To keep himself fro
m grabbing her and hauling her in for a kiss, he squeezed his beer bottle until he thought the glass might break.

  “Nothing’s wrong with it,” he murmured, his tone thick with a desire he couldn’t hide. “You look...” He fumbled for the right word to express his awe. Beautiful. Sexy as hell. Like heartbreak. “Breathtaking.” She smiled her appreciation, a pink tint creeping to her cheeks, and he added, “Quite literally. I tried to inhale my drink when you walked in.” He leaned closer and added, “That only works if you’re a fish, by the way, so...I don’t advise trying it.”

  She chuckled, and the moment of levity helped ease the nervous tension.

  “So...where did they go?” she asked craning her neck to search for her brothers.

  “Somewhere not here.”

  She lifted one eyebrow. “Obviously. Why? Are they really avoiding me because of my dress?”

  “Not exactly. More like giving us privacy.”

  His answer seemed to unsettle her. “At your request?”

  “No, but...I’m not gonna argue.”

  “Oh.” She fiddled with her pearl necklace, her posture stiff, and her gaze drifted around the room. “Good turnout.”

  He hummed his agreement. “Can I get you something to drink?”

  With an awkward smile, she shook her head and fell silent again.

  “Are we going to talk about it?” he said after a moment.

  “Not here. And not now,” she said without looking at him.

  “Okay. Trite banter it is.” He raised his bottle toward her. “You really do look great tonight.”

  She flashed a wry grin. “What? This old thing?”

  “Yes, that old thing. You have turned quite a few heads.”

  She said something under her breath that sounded like Only one head I care about.

  “Pardon?”

  She forced a smile and shook her head. “I said thank you. You look really nice, too.”