She smiled now, but not the big, vivacious sort he was used to seeing. This one was more tentative. Sad, even. The kind that made him want to wrap his arms around her and tell her everything would be okay.
“I promise I will. Thank you.”
“I’ll have my attorney draw up the papers and get them to you as soon as possible.”
She nodded, looking as though she wanted to say something more. When she didn’t—
“I need to be going.” He turned for the door.
“Andrew?”
He turned back, his heart hopeful.
She hesitated a moment. Then—“Drive safely.”
He forced a smile, wondering if he’d ever see her again. “I will.”
Chapter Eighteen
For the second time in less than twelve hours, Carly watched Andrew pull out of the drive. He was gone. Forever.
She missed him already.
Still, she’d made the right choice, hadn’t she? After all, he’d even said that his business was his top priority. Not her, not family. Business. She couldn’t live like that again. Watching their relationship dissolve into nothing. Her heart wouldn’t be able to take it.
Despite everything, though, he’d given her his half of Livie’s house. Making her dream of expanding Granger House Inn possible. So why wasn’t she jumping up and down, cheering at the top of her lungs? Wasn’t that what she’d wanted all along? Where was the excitement?
Gone with Andrew.
Though he’d never even been a part of the equation, without him, turning Livie’s house into an extension of the B and B just didn’t feel right.
She downed what remained of her lukewarm tea and set the mug on the island beside the pretty basket containing the colorful eggs they’d decorated. After crying much of the night, she must look like a mess.
She went into her bedroom, knowing she needed to get ready for church. She looked at herself in her bathroom mirror. Puffy, red eyes stared back at her. No wonder Andrew had been so eager to leave.
Turning, she slumped against the vanity. Who was she trying to kid? He left because there was nothing more to say. Their relationship was over. And still he’d given her his half of Livie’s house. A move that made her love him all the more.
Tears threatened again, but she blinked them away. Tea. She needed more tea.
Returning to the kitchen, she grabbed another tea bag from the box on the counter, put it in her mug, added some water and put the cup in the microwave. She still couldn’t believe she’d forgotten to buy a kettle. Since there was one at Livie’s, it had completely slipped her mind. Add that to her ever-growing list of items that needed to be replaced.
Perhaps she should make a run into Montrose tomorrow and see what she could pick up. Hanging out in her new kitchen would only make her think of Andrew. She needed something to distract her. At least for a while.
She glanced at the clock. Almost eight o’clock and still no sign of Megan. She must be worn out from helping them yesterday. Unpacking, moving stuff around in her room.
Mug in hand, Carly moved to the beautiful table Andrew had made her out of the old butcher block. She smoothed her palm over the satiny surface. What a fun surprise this had been. Her gaze shifted to the family room before taking in the kitchen once again. Memories of Andrew seemed to be everywhere she looked.
She eyed the cardboard container of scrapbooks and shoe boxes she’d tucked in one of the four chairs. Whether Andrew was in her life or not, she would still complete them. She’d made a promise to both Clint and Mona.
She placed her cup on the table and picked up the shoe box belonging to Andrew. She knew it was foolish. Why torture herself?
But that wasn’t enough to stop her from lifting the lid. There, on top, was the note Mona had written.
Carly picked it up, more curious than ever. What had Mona wanted to say to her second-born son? And though she knew she shouldn’t look, Carly desperately wanted to know.
She fingered open the flap on the envelope, pulled out the note card adorned with columbines and read.
My sweet Andrew,
You were always my ambitious one. And so much like your father. You work hard and love even harder. Some think you’re a workaholic. Inside, though, you long to be a family man. Or did, anyway. Until your heart was broken.
Carly’s hand went to her mouth. Was Mona referring to her? Was she the one who broke Andrew’s heart?
Instead of dusting yourself off and moving on, you channeled all of your energy and passion into your business, and it’s paid off. But a mother longs to see her children happy. And despite your success, I don’t believe you are.
An image of Andrew sprang to her mind. That day six weeks ago when she first saw him at Livie’s. He was so intense. Not at all like the man she once knew. Or the man he’d been these past weeks.
Andrew, I pray that you will one day find the strength to let go of the pain of the past and allow yourself to love again. Open your heart to the future God has planned for you. You never know where it may lead.
A tear trailed down Carly’s cheek. How could she have been so stupid? Andrew was the kind of man she’d always wanted. Yet she’d let him walk out of her life. Not just once, but twice. All because she was afraid.
Andrew was not Dennis. He’d demonstrated more love and understanding in this past month than she’d experienced in most of her marriage. Andrew went out of his way to show how much he cared for both her and Megan. Like that day he took her to the movies in Montrose and that first night when he taught Megan to play cards.
She tucked Mona’s card back into the envelope and set it inside the box, her fingers brushing that photo of Andrew at fifteen. She picked it up. “Oh, Andrew, I do love you.”
Enough to leave Ouray and risk a future with him in Denver?
Smiling, she swiped another tear from her face. Mona was right. It was time to let go of the past and see what God had planned for her future. To do that, though, she had to find Andrew.
But how? It wasn’t like she could just call him and say, “I’ve had a change of heart. Would you mind turning around?” No, she had to prove she loved him and was committed to their relationship, no matter where they lived. That meant she had to go to him.
She hurried into her bedroom, threw on a pair of jeans and a sweater, then gathered a few things and threw them into her tote. Clint would know where she could find him. Where he lived. She and Megan could stop by the ranch on their way out of town.
Finished, she set her bag by the back door and went into Megan’s room. “Wake up, baby. We need to—”
Megan’s bed was empty.
“Megan!” she hollered as she left her daughter’s bedroom, then again as she headed into the family room. Where could she be?
She searched the kitchen, her bedroom, the dining room and the parlor before heading upstairs. “Megan!”
Her sweaty palms skimmed across the banister as panic rose in her gut. She’d heard of children being taken from their beds, never to be seen again.
Finding nothing in the three bedrooms upstairs, she rushed back downstairs and searched Megan’s room for any sign of foul play, any hint where her daughter could have gone. The windows were still locked with the blinds closed, and nothing was out of place.
“Megan!”
She went to the front door. It was unlocked and ajar.
Her heart sank into her stomach. She always locked up at night.
Pushing through the storm door, she checked the porch. “Megan?”
The silence reverberated in her ears.
She glanced left, then right. Spotting Livie’s house, she darted down the steps. Maybe Megan forgot something and had gone back to retrieve it. She tried the front door. Locked. She rushed to the back. Locked again.
The key. She
needed the key.
She hurried across the drive, into the kitchen, grabbed the key and went back to Livie’s. Pushed through the back door. “Megan?”
She searched this house, too, her anxiety ratcheting up a notch with every empty room. Her stomach churned, her breaths coming so quickly she was getting light-headed. Where was she?
God, help me.
Pulling her cell phone from her pocket, she dialed 911 and choked back the tears that threatened to consume her.
“Ouray 9—”
“My daughter’s missing.”
* * *
Andrew continued north on Highway 550 on his way back to Denver, staring out over the open range without ever really seeing anything. When he’d arrived in Ouray almost five weeks ago, his plan had been to do the renovations at his grandmother’s house as quickly as possible and then move on down the road with the possibility of some rental income. But all that changed when Carly walked in.
Now he wasn’t sure if his life would ever be the same. If he’d ever be the same. Because for the first time in his adult life, he wasn’t thinking about sales numbers or the next big deal. All he could think about was Carly. What was she doing? Was she already planning what to do with his grandmother’s house, or was she sitting there with her cup of tea, missing him, too? And had she tamed those wayward curls?
The thought made him smile.
He was halfway to Montrose when he’d reigned in his emotions enough to call his attorney. So what if it was Easter? Ned would understand. He pressed the button on his steering wheel for the hands-free calling feature.
“Call Ned.” The sooner they got the legalities squared away, the sooner Carly could incorporate his grandmother’s house into the B and B.
“Hey, buddy.” Ned’s voice boomed through the speakers.
“I need you to do something for me.” He went over what he wanted.
“Sure. Since you’re both in agreement, it shouldn’t take long at all. So, are you looking forward to getting back to the real world again?”
Strangely, he found life to be more real in Ouray than it had ever been in Denver. Between the fire, the foals, his dad and the blizzard, it had been an eventful few weeks. “I suppose.”
“You don’t sound very excited.”
“Let’s just say things in Denver don’t hold the same allure as they once did.”
“I see. This sudden change of heart wouldn’t have anything to do with this Carly person, would it?”
He blew out a breath. “She helped me to see how much of life I’ve been missing out on.”
“Then why are you leaving us?”
Andrew jerked his head toward the backseat, causing his vehicle to swerve.
“Megan?” He overcorrected, veering into the other lane.
A horn sounded from an oncoming car.
“What’s going on, Andrew?” Ned asked through the speaker.
Heart pounding, Andrew put on his blinker and eased onto the shoulder. “I’ll call you back, Ned.” He ended the call and turned around.
“Megan, what are you doing here?” The poor kid was crying. No wonder. He could have killed them both. “Does your mother know where you are?”
“No.” Shaking her head, she tearfully climbed over the leather console and into the passenger seat. Only then did he realize she was still wearing her pajamas.
He willed his heart rate to a normal rhythm. “Okay, sweetheart, what gives?”
“You can’t leave us.” Her bottom lip quivered.
“I don’t have a choice, Megan.”
“Yes, you do!” she yelled. “We love you and I know you love us, too.”
He let go a sigh. Out of the mouths of babes.
Even Megan got it. How come he didn’t?
Because until recently, all of his hopes and dreams had been in Denver.
He eyed the child he’d grown to love. Could God have put her here for a reason?
Yeah, to show him what a giant mistake he was making.
“Come here.” He took the sobbing girl into his arms, feeling like the biggest jerk in the world. He couldn’t have cared for her more if she were his own daughter. He wanted to watch her grow, to teach her how to drive and protect her from all those dates she was bound to have in a few years.
Most of all, he didn’t want to go through life alone anymore. Hillary was right. It was the pits. He wanted to be closer to his father and brothers. And he wanted to be with Carly and Megan. Maybe Colorado’s western slope was in need of a good construction/remodeling company.
Whatever the case, he knew in his heart that staying in Ouray was not only the right thing to do but also what God had been trying to tell him the entire time he was there. Thank You, Lord.
When Megan had calmed down, he set her away from him. “You’re a pretty perceptive kid, you know that?”
“What does that mean?” She sniffed.
Lifting the lid on the console, he pulled out a napkin and handed it to her. “It means that you’re right. I do love you. And your mama, too.” Except he hadn’t told Carly until he’d been walking away. What kind of guy did that?
His cell rang then, his dad’s name appearing on the dashboard screen.
He pressed the button on the steering wheel to answer. “What’s up, Dad?”
“Jude just called. Megan is missing.”
Megan’s eyes were wide as she looked up at him.
“I’m on my way to—”
“She’s with me, Dad.”
“Megan?”
“Yes.” He continued to watch a silent, perhaps terrified, Megan. “Tell Carly not to worry. We’ll be there shortly to explain.”
“I wasn’t trying to make Mommy sad,” she said as he ended the call. “I just wanted—”
He touched her cheek. “I know. Now buckle up.” He waited for the traffic to clear, then made a U-turn and headed back toward Ouray. “We don’t want to be late for Easter service.”
* * *
When they arrived at Carly’s, she was out of the house and in the drive with his dad and Jude right behind her before he brought the truck to a stop.
She opened the passenger door and scooped her daughter into her arms. “Baby, you scared me to death. What were you thinking?”
Megan didn’t respond. She simply twisted her head to look at him as he rounded the front of the vehicle.
He looked at Carly now. He could tell she’d been crying. Still, she was beautiful. Why had he ever thought he could walk away from her again?
“Would you guys mind taking Megan into the house while I talk to Carly?”
“Not a problem,” said his brother, already making his departure.
“Come on, darlin’.” The old man held out his hand as Carly set Megan on the ground. A few moments later, the three of them disappeared into the kitchen.
“Thank you for bringing her back.” Carly crossed her arms over her chest. “But I don’t understand how she ended up with you in the first place.”
“She stowed away in my truck.”
“What?” Her brow puckered. “Why would she do that?”
“Megan said she overheard us talking last night and then again this morning.”
Carly winced, the morning breeze gently tossing those crazy curls of hers.
“Let’s just say she thought I needed a little friendly advice.”
Carly’s mouth twitched, her arms dropping to her sides. “I’m sorry she caused you so much trouble.”
He took a step closer. “She wasn’t any trouble. At least, not once I got the truck under control again.”
“Oh, no.” She did smile then.
“Hey, we’re both in one piece, and she’s home safe and sound.”
Carly nodded but wo
uldn’t look at him.
So he forced her to do just that by erasing what little space remained between them and touching a finger to her chin. To his surprise, she didn’t pull away.
“I love you, Carly. And I love your daughter, too.”
Her body relaxed as though she was relieved. Then she laid a hand to his chest, staring up at him with those blue eyes. “I love you, too. And I’m willing to go to Denver or anywhere else with you, if you still want me to.”
Being with her was what he wanted more than anything. But hearing her say those words made him realize how selfish he was even to have asked. She had built a successful business here, and she was an integral part of the community. A community he’d grown to care about a great deal these past few weeks.
Shaking his head ever so slightly, he slid his arms around her waist. “I don’t belong in Denver. Ouray is my home, and home is where I need to be.”
“What about Magnum Homes?”
“I’m still bound to the purchase. However, I might have to see about getting someone else to run it, because I plan to spend my time here with you.”
Lowering his head, he kissed her. This amazing woman who had taught him more about himself than he’d ever known. She was his past, his present and his future.
Still holding her, he looked into the eyes of the woman he loved. “I guess we’d better get ready for church.” He stroked her arms. “After all, Easter is a time of renewal and new beginnings.”
“A new kitchen, new directions...”
“New life.” He smiled, pulling her to him once again. “I guess my parents named the ranch correctly after all. Because I am abundantly blessed, indeed.”
Epilogue
Carly couldn’t think of any better time than Mother’s Day to give the Stephens brothers the scrapbooks their mother had so lovingly planned for them. Mona was an amazing woman who’d raised five wonderful sons, and she deserved to be celebrated.
Of course, the guys didn’t know anything about the scrapbooks. They simply thought they were treating Carly to lunch at the ranch because, as Andrew told her, “You’re a mom, so it’s our turn to celebrate you.”
Their Ranch Reunion Page 18
