Forever After (Montana Brides, Book 3)

by Leeanna Morgan

  He cleared his throat. What the hell was he doing here? “Umm…I’m waiting for someone.”

  The glow on her face disappeared. “Oh.”

  Hell. He’d done it again; put his mouth firmly where it didn’t need to go. “I mean…” He cleared his throat again, “…Cody.”

  “Oh.” She stared at him for a couple of seconds, a confused scowl working its way across her pretty face.

  And she’d cut all her hair off. He hardly recognized the pixie staring back at him. Her short blonde hair looked like a shiny, golden cap. Wispy bangs framed her face, making her clear blue eyes appear twice as large, twice as beautiful. He didn’t know where she’d been tonight, but he sure as hell wished he’d been there. Any male within a ten mile radius would have made sure he’d introduced himself to the sultry blonde in the flaming red dress.

  “Well…nice evening isn’t it?” Damn. He was really scraping the bottom of the barrel with that revelation.

  Nicky glanced out of the window between their two apartments. “It’s lovely outside. Much cooler than this afternoon.”

  He nodded, trying to look intelligent. Trying not to look like a moron. “So…do you want to go for a walk?”

  Nicky frowned. “What about Cody?”

  “Cody?”

  “My brother. The person you’re waiting for.”

  “I can give him a call and cancel our…umm…meeting. He won’t mind.” Considering he didn’t know about meeting Sam, he wouldn’t mind in the least. Right about now, he probably had his arms around one of the never ending stream of blondes he favored. Lucky bastard.

  Nicky stared at him. She looked worried, confused, and a little bit like she might say yes.

  But maybe that was him, projecting his hormones through the sparkly bits on her dress. Hormones and a lot of other things if he had half the chance. Not in this lifetime, he sighed. And definitely not until he’d apologized.

  Nicky looked down at her security card. “Thanks for the offer…”

  She was going to say no. She couldn’t say no.

  “…but I’ve had a long day. Maybe another time.” She inserted her security card into the lock and disappeared inside her apartment.

  Sam stared at her door. He could have sworn she’d been tempted to go for a walk with him. How wrong could he be? Reaching behind him, he turned his door handle.

  Damn. Not only was he a loser in the personality stakes, he’d locked himself out of his apartment. He’d get no comfort from Nicky, so he headed toward the elevator. The Village manager would laugh at the idiot from one of the penthouse apartments.

  He’d laugh even harder if he heard the rest of the story. Sam Delaney, master of negotiating multimillion dollar construction deals had just been made surplus to a woman’s requirements.

  ***

  Nicky closed the door and slid toward the floor. Her heart raced like it was in the spin cycle of a washing machine.

  Emily would have been proud of her. She’d stuck to their plan. She hadn’t caved in and listened to the sweet imaginings whispering along her body. An evening walk around town with Sam would have put her in the danger zone. God knew what warm mountain air, soft music and a theatre full of stars twinkling overhead would have done for her promise to Emily. Or to her sanity.

  Look but don’t touch. That would be Nicky’s guiding principle with Sam from now on. If he ever realized there was more to their relationship than physical attraction, she’d indulge her touchy feely thoughts then. With every ounce of willpower left in her tattered heart she’d keep her hands to herself. Look but don’t touch.

  A grin slipped across her face. Sam had looked big time. In fact he’d looked so hard that Nicky swore she’d felt warm hands gliding along her skin, stroking and cajoling her until she would have done nearly anything to keep those hands moving against her body.

  Unzipping her evening bag, she grabbed her phone and hit speed dial. “It’s me.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  Emily’s voice sounded like it was down a long tunnel, echoing through the phone. “Are you in the bath?”

  “Yep. As naked as the day I was born. What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing’s wrong,” Nicky said. “It’s nearly eleven o’clock. Why are you in the bath?”

  “You danced my feet off tonight. I’m hot, sweaty and tired. Even Cinderella’s fairy godmother needed down time. After tonight I need a week of compulsory rest and relaxation.”

  Nicky leaned her head against the door, smiling to herself. “That’s what you get for turning twenty-five. By thirty you’ll get your second wind. Andrew seemed to enjoy himself.”

  A muffled sigh floated down the phone. “Andrew’s a whole lot of man rolled into one incredible package. I’m surprised you’re not tucked up in bed and sound asleep. Teaching Cody to waltz would have been more than I could handle.”

  “He did okay. Another lesson or two and he’ll be a pro. That’s why he doesn’t go anywhere that plays decent music. He’s got two left feet and a counting disorder.” Nicky grinned. “Did Andrew mind having your sister and brother gate crash your first date?”

  “Second, but whose counting,” Emily said smugly.

  “Second? When did number one happen?”

  “Just before I met you at the park yesterday, but we’re getting off track. As much as I love speaking with you, my bubbles are starting to dissolve. What’s up?”

  “Sam.”

  “Isn’t he always?” Emily laughed.

  Nicky smiled. “Don’t be rude. We’re both drunk on hormones and only one of us can do anything about it.” She kicked her shoes off her feet, wiggling her red tipped toes. “I saw Sam tonight.”

  “Where?”

  “Outside my apartment. If I was being delusional I’d swear he was waiting for me.” Just like she’d dreamed his hands were moving over her skin. “And you’ll never believe what he said.”

  “He asked you to marry him and have two point three babies?”

  “You’re good, little sister, but not that good.” The sound of running water gurgled down the phone. “He said he was waiting for Cody. But Cody was heading home after he’d dropped me off.”

  The water stopped. “Why was he waiting for Cody?”

  “Beats me.”

  “What else did he say?” Emily asked.

  “Not much, but he looked lots.”

  “I knew it! We’re onto a winner with the new clothes and hairstyle. Hang on.”

  The clatter of the phone hitting something hard flew down the phone. Nicky heard a high pitched sucking noise as water gushed out of the bath.

  “I’m back,” Emily said. “I couldn’t get the water hot enough and I can feel a major heart-to-heart session starting. Did you stick to our plan?”

  “Are you kidding? I wouldn’t dare deviate from your master plan of seduction.”

  “Good girl,” Emily crooned. “We weren’t supposed to put anything into action until Monday, but what the heck. We’re women. We’re flexible. And we’re great at multitasking.”

  Nicky didn’t know if that was strictly true. Ever since she’d arrived in Bozeman she’d had a seriously one track mind. Running straight toward Sam Delaney.

  “Get a good night’s sleep and I’ll see you tomorrow at mom and dad’s. We’ll corner Cody and get him to give us a hand. God knows we’ve pulled him out of enough scrapes to last a lifetime.”

  Nicky yawned into the phone. “I don’t know if he’ll help us. But either way, there’s nothing we can do about it tonight. Thanks for your help, Emily.”

  “Think nothing of it. I’ll polish off my magic wand for you anytime.”

  Nicky disconnected the call, staring for a long time through the closed balcony doors. Sam had definitely been rattled. A little flame of hope sizzled and then spluttered to a smoking wick. In another two weeks he might change his mind about adding long term commitment to his attraction philosophy. But until then, she was at the whim of a whacky fairy godmother.

 
; ***

  Sunday lunch at the Scotson ranch was a family tradition that had lasted through mumps, measles, and more than one broken heart.

  By the time Nicky arrived, Emily and Cody were deep in conversation on the patio, her dad had just put the barbecue on, and Maureen and granddad were walking around the garden with a glass of wine in their hands.

  Waving across the grass and roses, she headed toward her dad. “Need a hand?”

  “Hi, babydoll. I like your new hairstyle. You’ve arrived just in time to unwrap the buffalo steaks.”

  Nicky took the plate of meat, smiling at her father. She’d inherited his blonde hair and blue eyes, and more than a little of his temperament. Gary Scotson hadn’t bowed to the pressure from his father to join the family construction business. He’d paid his own way through college and bought a cattle ranch the size of a postage stamp. Over the years he’d added more land until three hundred and ninety acres proudly bore the Scotson mark of stewardship.

  “How’s the world of cattle ranching, dad?”

  “Busy. I swear if we get another winter like last year we’re going to need every bale of hay we’re stacking in the barns. Have you seen Emily’s apartment since she spruced it up?”

  Nicky smiled at the twinkle in his eyes. “Did she have you on the end of a paintbrush again?”

  The twinkle turned to a full throttle chuckle. “You know your sister too well. Cody even pitched in with the ceiling. I’m getting too old to climb up and down ladders.”

  “Nonsense. You’re a spring chicken.”

  “Who’s a chicken?”

  Nicky laughed at the cheeky grin on Cody’s face. “I hear you’ve been painting Emily’s ceiling?”

  “You mean she conned me into helping her. She promised me a three course banquet and instead I got a burger and fries. Next time I’ll make sure her promises are bulletproof before I start.” He gave her a pointed look.

  Nicky frowned back. Unless Emily had already been pestering him into going along with their plans, she didn’t have a clue what the determined look had been for.

  “You need some of my charm,” Gary said. “I got chocolate fudge cake and leftovers from the night before.”

  Cody growled. “Favoritism, that’s what it is.”

  “Nicky, you look lovely.” Maureen walked toward her, a smile on her face and two salad bowls in her hands. “Would you go and help your granddad? He’s putting the rest of the food onto a trolley.”

  “No problem.” Nicky headed toward the house, kicking her sandals off before walking into the spacious kitchen. Dark brown walnut floors gleamed under the white carrera marble counter. Her grandfather was on the far side of the kitchen beside the open fridge. “I’ve been sent in to supervise the loading of the food.”

  Michael Scotson closed the fridge door, putting a big bowl of pasta on the trolley. “I thought you’d be here hours ago. It’s gone eleven o’clock, girl.”

  Nicky smiled. “If I’d known you were going to miss me so much I would have finished work a couple of hours ago.”

  “Why on earth are you working on a Sunday morning?” His scowl told her he wasn’t impressed with her dedication. “You’ve found the idiot who stole our money, so why did you need to be at work?”

  “And this coming from the man who never left his office?”

  For a split second, regret washed across his face. “No point crying about spilled milk, but I’ll give you some advice.” He speared her with a gruff look, “Not that I think you’ll listen.”

  He cleared his throat, gripping the handle of the trolley so tight that Nicky wondered if he’d leave a dent in the steel. “Don’t make the same mistake I did. I was so busy building an empire I forgot about my family. It wasn’t until your grandmother died that I realized what I’d missed out on. Your father made the same mistake. I tried to tell him, but he was just as mule headed as I was. You get caught up in the rush of work until your body gets thrown around once too often. By the time you realize you’ve lost your way, you’re left clinging to the side of the life you thought you had. Only what you took for granted has disappeared.”

  He hung his head for a moment, then moved back to the fridge, grabbing two bottles of wine from the door. “Take these bottles outside to Maureen and give an old man a couple of minutes to gather his thoughts.”

  Nicky reached for the bottles and gave her grandfather a kiss on the cheek. “I love you, granddad. And I’m proud of what you’ve done. Grandma was proud too. She might have called you her cantankerous old fool, but she would have used her walking stick on anyone else that said the same thing.”

  A dry laugh erupted from his throat. “And it would have been a mighty fine whack at that. Now take that wine outside before it gets warm.”

  “I’m going. You’ve got five minutes then I’m coming back to annoy you.” Nicky sped along the hot paving stones in her bare feet. “Here’s the wine, dad. I’m going back to help granddad wheel the trolley out.”

  Her dad looked up from the barbecue. “Cody, go and get Emily. Tell her lunch is nearly ready.”

  Cody ambled off, muttering something under his breath.

  Nicky glanced at Maureen, “What’s my brother all riled up about?”

  “I haven’t got a clue. He’s been in secret discussions with Emily ever since she arrived. And he doesn’t seem too happy about whatever they’ve been talking about.”

  Nicky watched Cody’s back disappear behind a potted plant. Emily must have swooped on him as soon as her foot hit the front door.

  Maureen stared at her like she might be able to solve the puzzle of the century.

  Nicky looked away and moved the bottles of wine into the middle of the table. Out of habit, she tilted her head forward, attempting to hide behind her long hair. But it had disappeared, along with her scheming sister and unimpressed brother. “I’ll go and help granddad with the food.”

  She wasn’t going to tell anyone about their plans until it was completely over. And even then she didn’t think Maureen would appreciate the tight time frame and limited emotional intelligence they were up against.

  ***

  It didn’t matter where Nicky looked or what she said, Cody kept scowling at her. She stared back, not intimidated by all the male testosterone on display. Over the last few weeks she’d built up a natural immunity to men with more brawn than brains. Anyone would think it was a criminal offense to make a man realize how important a woman was in his life.

  Cody pushed a slice of apple pie toward her. “Eat up, sis. You’re going to need all the sugar you can get soon. You, me and Emily are on clean-up duty.”

  She didn’t like the sound of that. And the frown on his face told her he wasn’t much looking forward to the showdown either.

  Her grandfather stared across the table. “How’s Sam been treating you?”

  Nicky choked on the wine she’d just swallowed.

  Emily’s mouth dropped open and Cody sat back with a satisfied smirk on his face.

  Clearing her throat, she speared a big hunk of pie onto her fork. “Fine.” Her granddad shot her a suspicious look.

  She tried to distract him with a forced smile. “I’m halfway through the final report for the board of directors. That’s what I was doing at work this morning.” Her voice petered out to nothing at his raised eyebrow. Shoving a fork of pie into her mouth, Nicky chewed ferociously, staring at her sister for moral support.

  “Dishes,” Emily squeaked, grabbing her half full dessert plate and lunging for Cody’s.

  “Hey, I haven’t finished yet.” He moved his plate to the other side of him, stuffing another spoon of apple past his lips.

  “Yes you have.” Emily moved around the back of his chair, following his plate like a lioness stalking her prey.

  Cody flicked his plate to the right, dodging Emily’s arm as it swung around his shoulders. “You’ll have to move quicker than that if you want to get me out of here.”

  “You’re acting like seven-year-olds,�
�� Maureen scolded. “Emily, sit down and finish your dessert. And don’t get that high and mighty look on your face either, Cody. Your table manners were every bit as bad as your sister’s.”

  Emily flounced back to her chair, ignoring the, ‘I told you so’ look from her brother.

  Nicky glanced at her granddad.

  He stared straight back. “Seems to me there’s an awful lot of huffing and puffing going on at this table.”

  Nicky picked up her plate, determined to at least get Emily into the kitchen to find out what was going on with Cody. “It’s all hot air, granddad. Does anyone want a cup of coffee or a hot chocolate?”

  Emily leaped at the chance to get away from their moronic brother. With drink orders placed, they headed toward the house to get everything ready.

  “What have you told Cody,” Nicky whispered.

  “I swear to God that man would have to be the thickest male to ever walk the planet,” Emily hissed. “He has no imagination whatsoever. He doesn’t think our plan will work and he’s not going to be a part of it.”

  “He’s not going to tell Sam is he?” Nicky yelped as two large hands landed on her shoulders.

  “Stay right here you two,” Cody growled. “You aren’t going anywhere until I know you won’t do anything stupid.”

  Nicky peered around his shoulders, straight into Maureen’s curious gaze. She ducked in front of Emily. “I’m not having a conversation about Sam in the middle of the backyard. Maureen’s got bionic hearing and I’m sure granddad can lip-read.”

  “Fine. Into the house.”

  Nicky looked at Emily. This was definitely not going to plan.

  “Now.” Cody moved between them, wrapping his big paws around their waists. With an almighty shove he propelled them forward, scoffing at their attempts to get free. “I don’t think so. You’re not moving from the kitchen until we bury your nutty scheme.”

  “There’s nothing nutty about it,” Emily scoffed. “The only person that’s got a problem with our plan is you. And guess what…we don’t need you.”

  Cody glared at her. “I’m the only other person that knows about your plan. And even if you did need me, I wouldn’t be part of it. Sam’s my friend and I don’t lie to my friends.”