The Texan's One-Night Standoff

by Charlene Sands

  Cancer seemed to have sucked Winchester’s one-time bluster and hard-nosed demeanor right out of his frail body. Hunched over, he appeared a shell of the man Brooks had opposed so vehemently in the past. Warm-colored walls, floral bouquets and December sunshine streaming in the windows contrasted sharply with the sterile environment of medical equipment, drips and tubes, and the constant blip, blip, blip of a monitor over the soft music piping in from hidden speakers.

  With a feeble wave of his hand at the nurse, Winchester stopped the music. “You know me well enough to call me Sutton, boy.”

  “Okay, thanks. I will.”

  “Did you come here to gloat?” He lifted his head to look into Brooks’s eyes.

  “No, sir, I would never do that.”

  “Have a seat,” the older man ordered in a voice that had long lost its depth.

  Brooks sat in a chair three feet from Sutton’s wheelchair. “Thank you.”

  “How is my Eve?” he asked.

  “She’s doing well. Graham brought her down to Texas, as you know. She’s looking wonderful, excited about the baby.”

  Sutton turned his head to gaze out the window. “That’s good. I want my children to be happy.”

  “Sutton, I know how much you loved my mother.”

  Slowly Winchester turned his head back and raised his brows, looking him square in the eyes. “Cynthia was a special woman. I wished she would’ve told me about Carson, though. She left me without telling me she was pregnant. I missed out on my son’s life.”

  “Mom had a lot of pride.”

  “She was a stubborn one.” His eyes twinkled as if he admired that trait. As if he’d loved every single thing about Cynthia Newport. He and Brooks had that in common.

  “I’m glad you loved her, Sutton. I’m glad because if you didn’t, she wouldn’t have had Carson. So I guess I have you to thank for my brother. And I’m doing that now. Thank you.”

  Sutton stared at him and then acknowledged him with a nod. “I have no intention of cutting Carson out of my will, by the way. As you can see, I’m not long for this earth. Carson is my son and an heir. He will get what is rightfully his.”

  It had been a bone of contention these past months, something that had grated on Brooks. That his younger brother wouldn’t be acknowledged by his father. That he would lose what was due him, being an heir to the Winchester fortune. Carson had already been robbed of a father growing up—they all had—but this was one thing that could make things right in principle. “Carson knows that now. It wasn’t ever about the money.”

  “We have agreed that when the time comes,” Sutton said, speaking slowly, “his inheritance will go to charity. That’s fine by me. Whatever the boy wants. He deserves it.” His voice crumbled a little. “I have many regrets when it comes to Cynthia. Things I should’ve done differently with her. I lived my life a little recklessly, but I never betrayed her trust. I never told her secret. Seeing how it hurt you and Graham, maybe that wasn’t the smartest thing to do.”

  “We’ve all made mistakes. I’m here to make peace between our families. I’m here to tell you that I was wrong for pursuing vengeance against you. I was wrong to try to destroy Elite Industries. I understand why you kept my mother’s secret all those years. I’ve only just recently come to understand the crazy things one will do out of love. I, uh, I get it now. So I’m throwing in the towel. I’ve ordered my attorneys to back off. There’ll be no more legal battles. No more disparaging comments to the press. No more trying to undermine you or your company. I’ve already spoken to Eve, Nora and Grace about this. I’ve made my peace with them. But I wanted to face you in person. To say it’s over.”

  Sutton nodded, the movement slight, all he could manage. “It’s over.”

  All those months of personal attacks and secrets and truths coming to the surface were finally coming to an end. There would be no more harsh statements, conniving or retribution. The Winchester-Newport feud was done. Finished.

  Brooks had one more thing to accomplish to unite the families. “That being said, I’m also here to invite you and your family to Cool Springs for Christmas. On behalf of my father, Beau, and his family. We’d all like the Winchesters to share the holiday with us. Carson and Georgia will be coming. And your daughters are onboard if you think you can make the trip. I’ll send a private jet, and you’ll have expert nursing care while you are there. I promise you’ll be as comfortable as possible. It’ll be a time of healing for all of us.”

  Sutton inhaled slowly, closed his eyes and seemed to give it some good thought. “I’d like to be with my family for Christmas. One last time. Yes, I’ll make the trip.”

  Brooks put out his hand, holding his breath. There’d been a lot of bad blood between them, but he hoped they could put it all behind them. Sutton glanced at Brooks, then slowly offered his frail hand. It was putty soft, devoid of any strength, but he shook with Brooks and then smiled. Something Sutton Winchester rarely did. “It’s a deal.”

  “Deal,” Brooks said. “I’ll work with your staff to make the arrangements.”

  “Thank you.”

  Brooks sighed in relief. He was making strides, and it felt like a heavy weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He was free now to head back to Texas and make things right with one hot gorgeous woman. He only hoped Ruby would agree to see him. She was a stubborn one, too. She hadn’t answered any of his messages. Which worried him. But once he returned to Look Away, he vowed not to take no for an answer.

  * * *

  Brooks stood on the veranda with Beau, looking out at the cloudless night. There were hundreds of stars decorating the Texas sky, twinkling brighter than he’d ever seen before. He hugged his wool coat around his middle against the chilly winds. The Douglas fir tree decorating the veranda released the fresh scent of evergreen. It was Christmas Eve, and to spend it with his father for the first time locked up his fate good and tight. Brooks knew what he wanted to do with his life.

  “Well, Dad. Here I go. Wish me luck.”

  “You won’t need luck, son. Just tell the truth. There’s power in that, and you’d be surprised how much it’s appreciated.” Beau faced him. “I certainly appreciated hearing it from you tonight.”

  Beau wrapped his arms around him good and tight, drawing him close. Beau was a hugger, and Brooks loved that about him. When they broke apart, his father said, “I’m behind you one hundred percent.”

  He had his father’s love and support and, like a young boy would, he beamed inside. “Thanks, Dad.”

  “All right now, go. I’ve got a houseful of guests I don’t want to neglect.”

  The Winchesters had arrived this morning, and Beau had been a cordial host. Any awkwardness that might have occurred had been wiped clean straightaway by his father’s warm hospitality.

  “I’m going. I’m going.”

  Beau grinned and pivoted around to enter the house, leaving Brooks alone to make his move. He took a deep breath and sighed, a smile spreading across his face. What the hell was he waiting for?

  Holding Ruby’s image in his mind, he climbed down the steps and walked the distance to her cottage. A light was on in her living room, which was encouraging. He took a moment to gather himself and then knocked. When nothing happened, he knocked again, harder this time. “Ruby, it’s Brooks.”

  Silence.

  He reached for his cell phone and called her number. When no one answered, he sent her a text.

  Still no reply.

  He closed his eyes and sent up a prayer. He hoped he wasn’t too late. He hoped Ruby hadn’t gone back to Trace Evans. Though he couldn’t imagine it, Brooks knew she had a soft spot for the guy. Who knew what lies Evans might have told her to claim his innocence? Had Brooks waited too long? Had his lack of commitment sent Ruby back into Trace’s arms?

  Brooks’s shoulders sagged. He’d stand out here all night waiting for her, but catching pneumonia out in the cold would be a fool thing to do. He had no other option but to go home and try to spe
ak with Ruby tomorrow. She’d be at the house bright and early for Christmas breakfast.

  His hopes plummeting, he began the trek to his cabin, wishing now he’d thought to drive. The wind kicked up, lifting his hat from his head. He caught hold of it right before the darn thing sailed away and kept it flattened to his head as he walked on.

  Oh man, his bones were chilled, and he had no doubt it was going to be a long, cold, sleepless night for him. Once he reached his cabin door, a wreath of pine and holly berries greeted him, something that hadn’t been there when he’d left for Chicago three days ago. The staff or maybe Beau himself must’ve put it up as a way of welcoming him back. Or maybe it was simply a Preston tradition to decorate every door on the ranch. Christmas cheer seemed especially important on Look Away.

  Brooks entered the cabin, and as soon as his boots hit the wood planks, warmth rose up and smacked him in the face. It went a long way in taking the chill off from his cold trek. The fireplace crackled, and his gaze traveled to the tangerine flames partially lighting the room. He stepped farther inside, removing his coat and hat, rubbing at the back of his neck and wondering about the fire.

  “Brooks?” Ruby’s soft voice had him turning toward the bedroom doorway.

  As soon as he spotted her, his breath caught tight in his throat. She stood at the threshold clad in one of his white dress shirts, the sleeves pushed up and the tail reaching to midthigh on her gorgeous legs. Firelight christened her face and was reflected in her dark chocolate eyes. The lovely vision she made heated his blood, and hope sprang to life inside his body. Good God, she was beautiful.

  And here.

  “I hope it’s okay. Beau gave me the key to the cabin.”

  Tongue-tied, Brooks barely got the words out. “No, uh, it’s fine.”

  “I did some decorating.”

  He tore his gaze from her to scan the room. A tree sat on a corner table. This one would make Charlie Brown proud. The awkward branches were filled with tiny ornaments and multicolored lights. It was a clear winner and perhaps his favorite Christmas tree ever.

  Centered in the middle of the dining room table, a big glass bowl of shiny red and green Christmas balls caught his attention. Atop the mantel, a family of snowmen and Santa trinkets along with cinnamon-scented pillar candles added to the holiday warmth.

  “I like it.” He was a little dumbfounded, standing there, drinking in the sight of Ruby in his cabin after days and days of no communication. “So, does this mean you’re talking to me again?”

  “If you want an answer to that, you’ll have to come here.”

  “Baby, you don’t have to ask twice.” Her subtle, familiar scent, sheet of glossy hair raining down her back and mysteriously sexy voice lured him in. He took the steps necessary to come face-to-face with the woman of his fantasies, giving him the little boost he needed to lay his heart on the line. He’d been a fool not to claim her before this. Not to tell her what she meant to him.

  “I like your shirt,” he said, tracing a finger on her rosy lips, then skimming it along her sweet chin to her neckline and down to the hollow where the shirt dipped into her mind-numbing cleavage.

  “Ask me why I’m here.”

  “With you dressed like that, I’m supposed to think straight?”

  She chuckled, the deep sound coming up from her throat catching him off guard. “Try.”

  “You picked me?”

  “Galahad, it was never really a contest. Trace isn’t the man for me.”

  “You ditched him?”

  “I told him I didn’t love him anymore. That we weren’t meant to be. I’m not happy about you bribing him, but afterward I had a heart-to-heart talk with him, and he was honest with me about everything. He’s messed up his life and swore up and down that he never meant to hurt me.”

  “And you forgave him?” The cheater, the creep, Brooks wanted to add, but he was in too hopeful a mood to press his luck.

  She nodded. “It’s easier when you’re no longer emotionally invested. He’ll get on the right track again. He got an offer to do a reality show on a country cable television station, and he jumped at the chance. He’ll be moving to Nashville soon.”

  “That’s good to hear, because I wouldn’t have let you go. I wouldn’t have given up on you.”

  “Because that’s what white knights do?”

  “Because I’m crazy about you, Ruby. I’m out of my mind in love with you.”

  Ruby’s face brightened, and she smiled. “I love you too, Brooks. This isn’t a passing thing for me. This is the real deal.”

  Thank God.

  He didn’t need the mistletoe above their heads for permission to kiss her. He circled his arms around her waist and brought her up against him. Her chin tilted, and he gazed into the most stunning pair of dark eyes he’d ever seen. The glow in them promised more than he could ever hope for. Ruby was going to be his. And then his mouth came down on hers, meeting her flesh to flesh. Her soft lips slid over him exquisitely. Her petite body, all five-foot-two of her, crushed against him and put his brain in jeopardy of shutting completely down.

  He broke the kiss to her defiant whimper and then dipped down to lift her. Her brows arched in question, but she didn’t stir otherwise. Her arms automatically roped around his neck, and he carried her to a chair beside the sizzling fire. A log broke apart, and golden flames climbed the height of the fireplace, bringing intense heat. He sat down in the warmth, and Ruby wiggled in his lap. But Brooks had to contain his lust for just a few more seconds. “Ruby, I thought I’d blown it with you. Foolishly I left town without telling you how I felt about you. Maybe I shouldn’t have had Trace investigated...”

  “You think?”

  “Okay, I get it. It wasn’t my business to interfere, but I was trying my best to protect you from getting hurt again. Ever since the night we met at the C’mon Inn, when that guy was pestering you, I’ve had this need to protect you.”

  “Are you apologizing?”

  “For not trusting in you? Yes. You’re more than capable of making up your own mind about things.”

  She gently took his hand in hers and stroked his fingers, sending tingles up and down his arm. “I didn’t mind the first time, Brooks. I thought it was really kinda sweet of you, coming to my rescue. You didn’t know me, and still you were willing to help me. But with Trace, it was different. I really don’t want to talk about him anymore tonight. It’s over and done with. I know in my heart you had good intentions.”

  “I did and I still do, sweetheart. Actually, you call me Galahad, but in truth, you’re the rescuer in this duo. You’ve saved me, Ruby. From the very moment I met you, my life changed. I’ve become a better person, a more tolerant man, because of you. I came here looking for my true father and found a new way of life, as well. I’ve discovered something within me that I wouldn’t have realized if not for you. You taught me about the ranch and how things work in the country, but you also helped ease the pain of my past. Coming with me to meet my grandfather for the first time meant a lot. That was a hard reunion, but having you there comforting me and showing me how to let go worked miracles for me. You helped me turn away from the past and look forward. To the future. You gave me something special that day. You made me see what my life could be.”

  He lifted her fingertips and kissed each one. Just looking at her filled his heart with so much joy, he could hardly think straight. “I’ve always felt something was missing in my life. I thought it was because of my childhood. I thought it was because I never knew my father. In a sense, that’s true. I missed knowing Beau as a boy, having his guidance and love, but I’ve come to realize I’ve also missed this place. Look Away and Texas. It feels right being here, with you. I’ve known only city life, but now that I’m here, I don’t want to leave. I’m going to work it out so that I can stay closer to my family. The company is in good hands. I can run it long-distance.”

  “You’re staying?” The hope in Ruby’s voice swelled his heart.

  “I wa
nt to, yes. I hear there are some pretty nice ranches for sale close by.” Brooks rose with Ruby still in his arms. Her warmth mingled with his, and as soon as he lowered her down and her feet touched the floor, he felt the loss. “I went to your place looking for you. And nearly died when I couldn’t find you.”

  “I had a surprise for you, Brooks.”

  “Having you here was the best surprise I could ever hope for,” he said. And then he dropped to one knee and gazed into a pair of astonished eyes as firelight caressed her beautiful face. “Ruby Lopez, I promise to love and cherish and yeah, probably protect you for the rest of my life. I can’t help it. I’ll always be your Galahad.” He fished inside his pocket for the wedding ring he’d brought with him from Chicago, a diamond ring that had once been his Grandma Gerty’s. It was all he had left of the woman who’d taken his family in during a precarious time in their lives.

  Brooks held up the ring, and it glistened under the firelight. Clearing his throat, he presented it to her and said, “Ruby, this ring was given to me by my grandmother. She told me one day I’d give it to a special woman. That day has come, sweetheart. I want to give you this ring and along with it, my heart and soul. I ask that you do me the honor of marrying me. Ruby, will you be my wife?”

  Tears spilled from Ruby’s eyes, raining down her face without warning. Brooks held his breath, hoping they were happy tears. “I went to Beau and asked for his blessing, Ruby. I asked him for your hand in marriage, and he was touched and happy for us.”

  “Oh, Brooks,” she said, grasping his wrists as he rose. “That’s the sweetest thing...”

  Facing her now, he stared into her eyes, waiting patiently for her answer. “Ruby?”

  She began nodding quickly, the tears still trekking down her cheeks. “Yes, Brooks. I’ll marry you. I’ll be your wife.”

  He laughed, and the sound of his relief and joy filled the room. “You had me worried there, sweetheart.”

  “No, no. It’s just that I didn’t expect this.”

  Using the pads of his thumbs, he wiped at her tears, carefully drying her eyes. Cupping her face, he said softly, “I didn’t expect it, either. It happened so darn fast, but it’s the right thing. For both of us. I promise you, Ruby, we’ll have a great life.”