"This I know," Sophie informed him. "The two biggest reasons a woman cuts ties with a man are violence and infidelity. If Aaron didn't hit Cindy, then he cheated on her."
Sophie didn't ask for confirmation. Forbes' silence was all the answer she needed.
"Aaron is miserable."
"It's what he deserves." Sophie wouldn't placate Aaron. Or by association, Forbes.
"I agree—in theory. It was a stupid thing to do. But he's my best friend. I figure it's my duty to see him through this mess to the other side."
"The other side? As in, you think Cindy will take him back?"
"Hope. Aaron loves her. He couldn't do better than Cindy. As for her? She could do a hell of a lot better. I don't know." Aaron ran a hand over his face as if trying to scrub away the dilemma. "Let's change the subject."
Sophie didn't mind. She hadn't developed an overriding need for gossip that so many of her contemporaries seemed to possess. Perhaps she had been born without that particular gene—if such a thing existed. Or maybe living in the orbit of Joy's soap opera existence had bled out her need for salacious information.
"Have you decided on a college?"
It seemed like a safe, innocuous subject. Turned out, she was wrong.
"Can I tell you a secret?"
"Sure." What was one more?
"I don't know if I want to go."
"You're kidding?"
Since Sophie arrived at the Branson ranch, it seemed that half the conversations revolved around 'the day Forbes left for college.' Newt. Maeve. Even Mike and Jerry. It seemed like such a big deal she assumed Forbes was as excited as everybody else.
"It isn't that I don't want to go. When my mother died, I was too young to think about it. But as the years passed, I knew that I had to stay close to the ranch. Dad made it clear that I could pick any college I wanted. But I knew he was hoping I would pick his alma mater. There's nothing wrong with Washington State University. Or any other college in the state."
"Where do you want to go?"
Forbes shrugged. "This is all I've ever known, Sophie. I love my life. But I want to see more of the world. Travel. Have some adventures. Does that make any sense?"
As far as Sophie was concerned, they were sitting in a little slice of heaven. However, if she sat back and looked at it from Forbes' point of view, it made all the sense in the world. He had options that were never open to her. If he left, he always had a cushion to fall back on. A warm, loving place to come home to. Given that, she understood completely.
"What's stopping you?"
"Nothing. Not now. Dad has somebody in his life. I won't feel as guilty leaving."
A lightbulb suddenly went on in Sophie's head.
"That's why you were so willing to accept Joy's marriage to your father. So you could leave with a clear conscience."
"When you put it like that it makes me sound like a selfish bastard."
"You said it, not me."
"If I didn't believe they were a good match, I would have said something."
Sophie believed him. Forbes loved his father. He wouldn't put his self-interests in front of Newt's happiness.
"Which brings us back to my original question. What college did you choose?"
"None."
"None!" Sophie frowned at Forbes. "How does that fit into your plans?"
"I'm going to take a year off from school. Work my way around the world."
"What kind of work?"
"Fishing." This time when Forbes sighed, there was a hint of excited anticipation. "Aaron's uncle has offered us jobs on his boat this summer. With that experience under my belt, I could get other jobs in other places."
"When are you going to tell your father?"
"As soon as he gets back." Thoughtfully, Forbes ran his thumb along the rim of his cup. "What do you think?"
"About your plan?"
Forbes nodded.
Sophie was surprised that Forbes would ask for her opinion. Surprised. And Pleased. Taking her time, she gathered her thoughts and carefully chose her words.
"You should do it. If not now, then when? You're young. Unattached. So what if you finish college a year or two later than originally planned? Twenty. Thirty years from now, what difference will it make?"
"You're right." Forbes looked pleased. "Maybe I should have you talk to Dad. I know what I want to say, but it never comes out sounding right."
"If you tell Newt what you told me, you'll do just fine."
"I hope you're right."
Forbes put another log on the fire. Sophie sipped at her not-so-hot chocolate, cataloging all the topics they had touched on. She stopped when she came to something she wanted to clarify—for his edification.
"I could have gone on a date."
Forbes tucked his feet under Bailey's belly, his sigh of contentment turning into a puzzled frown. "What?"
"When you said I'd never been on a date? I wanted you to know that I could have gone on one. If I wanted to."
"Okay." Forbes' lips curved into a half smile, one that Sophie thought looked a bit condescending.
"It's true," she told him, her eyes narrowing.
"I believe you. I'm glad you said no. You're too young to date."
"Rick Billingsley didn't think so."
"Rick—" Sitting up, Forbes stiffened, his abrupt movement disturbing Bailey. With a disgruntled snort, the dog moved several feet away. "Never, ever, agree to go out with Rick Billingsley. He's a jerk when it comes to the girls he dates. If you can call it that," he added with a mutter.
The logical part of her brain understood that Forbes looked out for her. But that didn't stop the illogical part from getting its hackles up.
"I didn't want to go out with him."
"Good," Forbes nodded with satisfaction.
"However, if I had, you couldn't have stopped me. Unless." Sophie continued before Forbes could stick his foot any farther into his mouth. "You asked instead of told me. And gave me a reasonable reason not to go."
The air seemed to go out of Forbes' righteous outrage. Shaking his head, he chuckled.
"Fair enough."
With that settled—at least for the time being—Sophie suddenly felt weary. Her eyes were growing heavy, and she covered her mouth when a large yawn snuck up on her.
"It's late." Forbes tipped his watch toward the firelight. "Or early, depending on your point of view. It's been an eventful day."
"I'm glad we're friends again." Sophie yawned again, snuggling into her chair.
"We were always friends, Sophie."
"It didn't feel like it."
"Friends have disagreements," Forbes settled in, his head turned toward Sophie. "Wherever I go. No matter how long I'm gone. You can always count on me to have your back."
Sophie had never had anything she could count on. Or anybody. She looked at Forbes, smiling when she realized he had already drifted off. Her friend. No matter what. He would never understand what that would mean to her. Or how much she wanted to believe it was true.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
"WHERE IN THE hell did you come up with such a harebrained idea?"
"It isn't harebrained, Dad." Forbes didn't explain this properly. Where was Sophie when he needed her? Her words—so eloquently stated—popped into his head. "I'm talking about one year. Twenty years from now it won't matter that I graduated later than originally planned."
"That is quite possibly the stupidest thing you've ever said."
"You once told me that you regretted not seeing some of the world before you settled down to run the ranch. That's all I'm asking. A little time to travel—spread my wings—so I won't have to live with those same regrets."
"I don't remember saying anything of the kind. I met your mother. Had you. Ran this ranch. What is wrong with that?"
Forbes didn't know how the conversation had gotten so out of hand. When he had knocked on the door to his father's office, he hadn't expected
an argument. What had happened to his normally reasonable father? They had always been able to talk—about anything. It seemed Forbes had found a subject that was the exception to the rule.
"I'm eighteen. If I want to leave, you can't stop me."
Such a cliché. Forbes couldn't believe the words had come out of his mouth. That it had been necessary to say them. The fact that he meant it was little comfort.
Newt rubbed his brow. He looked tired. The lines on his face were new and deep. Forbes frowned with worry, a pang of guilt tightening the inside of his stomach.
"Go away, Forbes. We'll talk about this later."
"Are you okay, Dad?" Forbes took a step closer.
"I'm fine." Newt didn't raise his head, his hand moving to the back of his neck. "Still settling in. Give me a few days. I'll be back to my old self."
Still frowning, Forbes let himself out of the office.
His father and Joy had been home for almost a month. Shouldn't he have settled in already?
The first few days after the honeymooner's return his father had been busy catching up on ranch business. During the day, Forbes was at school. The weather had finally cooperated, allowing the baseball team to spend some practice time outside. He rarely made it home in time to sit down with everybody at the dinner table. By then, Joy and Newt were usually gone, spending most nights out in Cloverdale with friends.
If he had wanted to press the issue, Forbes could have asked his father for some time alone. However, the truth was, he was relieved to have an excuse to delay the inevitable.
It was Sunday. Maeve was gone for the day. As usual, Joy was nowhere to be seen. An hour earlier, he and Sophie had ended up in the kitchen where they threw together a couple of sandwiches
"Newt is alone in his office," Sophie said, taking the last bite of her turkey and provolone on whole wheat. "Now is the perfect time for that talk you've been putting off."
"He's probably busy. I don't want to…" Forbes caught the look in Sophie's eyes and laughed. "Just stamp wimp on my forehead. I won't stop you."
"Talk to him," Sophie laughed, giving him a friendly shove. "You'll be glad you got it over with."
Sophie had been wrong. Forbes wasn't glad. He was… confused. What the hell was going on with his father?
"Oh!" Joy bumped into Forbes. Atomically, he grabbed her arms to keep her from falling. Breathlessly, she laughed, resting her hand on his chest. "I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."
"Neither was I. No harm done."
When Forbes would have moved away, Joy curled her fingers into the fabric of his shirt.
"You look upset." She glanced towards Newt's office. "I hope nothing happened."
Unlike Sophie, Forbes didn't feel comfortable confiding in Joy. But he realized she might have some information that would shed some light.
"I don't want to pry." Forbes almost laughed. That was exactly what he wanted to do.
"You can ask me anything, Forbes."
"Dad seems a little out of sorts. Has something happened? He isn't sick, is he?"
"Healthy as a horse. As far as I know." With a sigh, Joy shook her head. "I've noticed a change in him, too. Day by day. Little by little. There's a growing distance between us, Forbes. I keep asking myself what I've done."
"I'm sure it's just your imagination." Forbes didn't want to hear the specifics.
"Newt is a wonderful man. But since we've been back, he's lost interest in the intimate side of our relationship. I need affection, Forbes."
Joy moved a little closer. Though she wore her ubiquitous high heels, she barely reached his chin. Tipping her head, she gazed upward.
Forbes wanted to believe the look he saw in Joy's eyes was completely innocent. If it were anybody besides his father's wife, he would have sworn she was coming on to him. He had to be mistaken.
Dropping his hands, Forbes took two steps back. Joy took two steps forward. When he hit the wall, she pressed her advantage, grabbing his head with both hands and gluing her lips to his.
Shock. It prevented him from pushing Joy away. But the feel of her tongue winding its way down his throat quickly galvanized him. With no consideration for her sex or the fact that he outweighed her by at least a hundred pounds, Forbes shoved. Hard.
Joy teetered on her spiked heels. But after years of practice, she easily maintained her balance. The predatory smile on her face—and the taste of her in his mouth—turned Forbes' stomach.
"What the hell?"
"Don't get all huffy. Admit it. You've wanted this for a long time." Dark eyes sparkling with the thrill of the hunt, Joy grabbed Forbes by the hand, guiding it toward her breast. He was stronger, but she was determined. In the end, a brush against her hardened nipple was her only reward.
"You're married to my father," Forbes spat out the obvious. Joy simply smiled, shrugging her shoulders.
"So? Newt doesn't have to know what we do when he isn't around."
"I would know."
"Your conscience might protest. But you'll get over it soon enough." Flicking her hair over her shoulder, Joy posed, one hip cocked in Forbes' direction. "Trust me. I'm that good."
Trust me. It made Forbes think of what Sophie had told him. Never trust a man who says trust me. Or a woman, it would seem. Then it hit him. Sophie! God, what would she think if she knew what Joy proposed? Is this what she had feared when she tried to talk Forbes into stopping the wedding?
Sophie had asked him a question at the time. What if I'm right?
"Son of a bitch," Forbes muttered. He should have listened.
"Relax." Joy lowered her voice to a coaxing purr as if she were speaking to a frightened animal. "Think of the fun we'll have."
"Listen carefully," Forbes ground out the words. "Not now. Not ever. Not if you were the last woman on the planet."
Joy licked her lips, moving closer. "You don't mean that."
That was it. Forbes didn't want to hear another word. Sending her one last look of disgust, he turned to leave. When Joy tried to stop him, sinking her claws into his arm, he jerked away. At that exact moment, the door to the office opened. Newt stepped into the hall, and Joy went to work. She gasped, staggering as if reeling from an attack that only she and Forbes knew was imaginary. Playing her part to perfection, she fell into a limp heap—directly at Newt's feet.
"Joy?" Newt knelt. When he tried to help her up, she clung to him, sobbing. Looking from her to Forbes, he asked, "What happened?"
"I—"
Whatever Forbes might have said—to be honest, he had no idea what would come out of his mouth—was blocked by Joy's tearful babbling.
"Forbes knocked me down," she sobbed, trying her best to burrow as close to Newt as possible.
Newt looked as perplexed as Forbes felt. His father didn't come right out and say he believed Joy, but the expression in his eyes—the doubt that said, just maybe, he believed Joy—was like a sucker punch to the gut. Feeling he had to defend himself, though he couldn't believe it was necessary, Forbes pulled his shoulders back, unwaveringly meeting Newt's gaze.
"She's lying."
As far as Forbes was concerned, those two words should have been enough. Forget the crazy woman on the floor. He was Newt's son. They had eighteen years of history. Characterized by mutual respect, caring, and—he would have bet his left nut—unconditional love. In a heartbeat, a trace of doubt had crept into what Forbes thought was a rock-solid relationship.
Holding his breath, he waited for Newt to say something. Anything.
"Come with me, sweetheart." Newt gathered Joy into his arms. Standing, he whispered words of comfort in her ear. "Let me get you to our room."
"Dad?" That was it? His father wouldn't defend Forbes?
"Later. Can't you see that Joy needs me?"
Stunned, Forbes watched as Newt strode away without a backward glance. It seemed sides had been chosen. And as hard as it was to believe, his father hadn't sided with him. J
oy, her eyes as dry as dust, sent him a catty, satisfied smile.
Was her act payback for turning her down? Or insurance in case Forbes tried to tell Newt what really happened?
Forbes slumped against the wall, his face falling into his hands. Did Joy's reasons matter? She achieved her goal—a break between father and son. The beginning of a wall. And for the life of him, Forbes didn't know how to stop it from growing. Brick by agonizing brick.
THINGS HADN'T SEEMED as hopeless the next morning. After a restless night's sleep, Forbes stood under the blast of the shower, telling himself that he had to have a long talk with his father so they could clear the air. About Joy and his wish to spend the next year—away from the ranch. Experiencing some of what the world had to offer.
The Joy part would be tricky. Should he tell the truth? Or would it be best to let it slide? In two months, Forbes would be gone. A year away. Followed by four years of college. When he had to be around his stepmother, he would avoid any chance of them being alone. The more witnesses, the better.
Forbes saw no reason they couldn't fix what wasn't really broken.
Unfortunately, finding time alone with his father turned out to be harder than Forbes could have anticipated.
"Newt took Joy to Seattle for a few days. They left as soon as the sun was up." Maeve set a plate of bacon and eggs in front of Forbes. Under her breath, she muttered, "Bet it's the first time that woman has ever gotten up to see a sunrise."
Another delay. Forbes hated to wait, but he couldn't do anything else.
"You don't like Joy very much, do you?"
"Not my place to say one way or the other. But I'll tell you this—"
A yawning Sophie entered the kitchen, causing Maeve to break off what she was about to say.
"Good morning, slugabed."
"It's only six thirty," Sophie laughed, taking the glass of juice Maeve held out for her.
"That is like eleven o'clock for most folks."
With a shrug, Sophie took the seat opposite Forbes.
"Just toast, please."
Maeve frowned, sending Sophie a concerned look. "No eggs? Or bacon? Would you prefer something else?"
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