by SJ McCoy
Corinne was watching him again. She really wanted to make sure he was okay. He wasn’t used to having someone care. He smiled and squeezed her hand, letting her know he was fine. How could he explain that he was simply feeling defensive against perceived criticism that probably didn’t even exist?
Chance surprised him with his next words. “Nah, my work’s at the bottom of the totem pole. It’s hard physical work, but that’s all. The rest of you have moved up and on by using your brains.” He grinned at Beau. “None of us could keep up with this guy, though. He figured out how to have the best of all worlds. Build himself a business empire by using his brains and he still gets to come down and ride and enjoy the ranch, when he wants to, not because he has to.”
Beau stared at him for a moment, not sure how to take that. He wanted to take the compliment he believed was intended, but he was so used to defending himself he had to wonder if it wasn’t somehow a dig that he wasn’t smart enough to see.
Carter grinned. “Yep, Beau is definitely the smart one.”
Everyone was smiling at him. He smiled back feeling incredibly self-conscious. “Thanks, guys.”
As he took his seat at the table he found himself between Chance and Corinne. Chance raised his glass to the two of them. “Here’s to new beginnings.”
Beau smiled. He was more than happy to drink to that, with both of them.
Chapter Eighteen
Corinne opened her eyes on Saturday morning and smiled. She didn’t have to rush to get up this morning and she was so glad of it. Her first week at the guest ranch had been great, but it was tiring. She’d expected that she would work Saturdays, it was one of the busiest days, being changeover day for the guests, but Shane had insisted that she didn’t need to. She knew he was looking out for her and Ruby and she appreciated it. At some point she would want to work and see how he had check-ins and checkouts set up. She was sure she’d find ways to streamline the process, but for today she was glad that she could enjoy the day with Ruby and Beau.
She turned onto her side and watched him. He was still sleeping, his handsome face relaxed. Looking at him, you’d never guess he worked a desk job. His broad shoulders and hard chest over a narrow waist spoke of a guy who worked the outdoors like his brothers. She felt as though she got the best of all worlds. She had a cowboy on the weekends and a businessman during the week. He opened his eyes and smiled.
“Good morning,” he murmured.
“Good morning.”
He reached out to draw her closer to him. She loved the way he held her. He made her feel so safe. He’d been right that spending more time together would help them relax around each other. She felt totally comfortable with him now, and for the last week they’d been together all the time that they weren’t working—including every night. He read Ruby her story each night and had made sure he was up before she was each morning. Corinne wasn’t sure why, but that had seemed the right way to do things. Ruby knew he was staying with them, but they’d avoided the topic of him sleeping in Mommy’s bed.
Until now. The bedroom door creaked as it opened and Ruby stood there, dragging her bear by one paw. Her eyes widened when she saw Beau.
“My Beau!” she said with a smile and came and climbed onto the bed.
Corinne wanted to laugh at the way Beau sat up and pulled the covers up to his chin. “Good morning, pumpkin.”
She grinned at him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Good morning. Isn’t Mommy’s bed comfy?”
He nodded and gave Corinne a panicky look. “Yes, it is.”
Corinne smiled. “But it’s time to get out of it, now. Do you want some juice?”
Ruby shook her head and snuggled against Beau. “No. I want Sunday morning cuddles.”
It was a tradition they had back in California. Sunday had been the one morning when Corinne didn’t have to get up and go until ten. She was usually exhausted and both she and Ruby had loved their time just cuddling up in bed for an extra hour.
“Maybe we can do that tomorrow. Today’s Saturday and we want to go out and have fun, don’t we?”
Ruby nodded reluctantly, but didn’t let go of her stranglehold on Beau.
Beau smiled and wrapped his arms around her. “Come on, let’s get up and see what mischief we can get into today.”
“Okay.”
Corinne took her hand. “Will you come help me get the coffee started?”
“Yes. Can I squish the oranges?”
“You can help.” Corinne led her out of the room, knowing that Beau would want her to leave before he got out of bed. He’d slept in his boxers the first few nights, but since then she’d learned that he preferred to sleep naked. She winked at him over her shoulder before she closed the door after them.
~ ~ ~
Beau smiled as he watched them go. It was hard to believe how much his world was changing. How much he was changing—and how much he loved it. Ruby was cute as a button and he loved her to pieces. He wanted to get up and go help her squish oranges.
He got out of bed and went through to the bathroom. When he came out he went to rummage in his holdall for clean clothes. He hadn’t spent a night at home all week, but he kept having to go back for clean clothes and other odds and ends that he needed.
He jumped at the sound of the door opening. He was still buck naked. “Ooh, I see my Beau’s butt!” squealed Ruby.
Beau grabbed a pair of jeans from his bag and covered himself with them as he fled back to the safety of the bathroom.
“Ruby!” He could hear Corinne call from the kitchen. “Come back in here. Leave Beau alone!”
He heaved a sigh of relief as he heard the bedroom door close and only then did he realize that he had his back pressed against the bathroom door. He chuckled to himself and headed for the shower, then stopped and went back to lock the door. He didn’t need another shock like that!
They were sitting at the table when he joined them in the kitchen. Corinne gave him an apologetic look.
Ruby giggled. “I saw my Beau’s butt.”
“Ruby!”
“What? I did!”
Beau smiled. He felt a little embarrassed, but he was glad that Ruby found it amusing, at least she wasn’t traumatized. Though he might be.
“Sorry,” said Corinne. “Do you want some coffee?”
“I’ll get it,” he said as she went to get up. It made him realize that though he’d been staying here and they were getting more relaxed around each other, she was treating him as if he were a guest. “Can I get you anything?”
She shook her head. “I’m fine, thanks.
Ruby held her glass up. “More juice.”
“Please,” added Corinne.
Ruby smiled and nodded.
Beau laughed and took her glass. When he handed it back to her he held on to it until she said. “Thank you.”
Corinne caught his eye and gave him a grateful smile. See, he could get the hang of this!
~ ~ ~
Ruby clung to Beau’s hand as they walked down the path to the barn. He’d promised he’d take her to see Gypsy and Troy before they headed down to the park for the afternoon.
Corinne smiled to herself as she watched them. They made quite a pair! As they reached the barn doors, Chance came out and greeted them with a smile.
“Hey guys! Are you coming to ride?”
“No, just to see the horses,” said Beau. “Gypsy is Ruby’s new best friend.”
“Ah, I wondered what she was doing up in the stalls. I almost turned her out.” He smiled at Ruby. “It’s nice to meet you.” He bent down and held his hand out to her.
Corinne was surprised to see Ruby turn suddenly shy. She wrapped her arms around Beau’s legs and hid her face against him.
Chance straightened up and shrugged.
“Come on, pumpkin,” said Beau. “Say hello. Chance is my friend.”
Ruby peeped out at him from behind Beau’s legs.
He smiled and winked at her.
“Is tha
t true?” she asked.
Corinne noticed the look the two men exchanged. She knew it hadn’t really been true until Thursday night at dinner, and she wasn’t sure it was entirely true now.
Chance nodded, but didn’t actually say yes.
Beau did. “Yep, it’s true.”
Corinne wasn’t sure whether he was confirming it for Ruby or for Chance.
It did the trick for Ruby. She came out from behind Beau’s legs. “Do you have a horse?”
Chance nodded.
“Which one?”
“I like them all, but the one I ride the most is Maverick.”
“Which one’s he?”
Chance turned and pointed toward a big sleek-looking black horse grazing in the pasture behind the barn.
“He’s pretty.”
“Thank you.”
“Do you want to come to the park with us?” she asked.
Chance smiled. “Thank you, but I can’t. You have fun though.”
She nodded. “We will.” With that it seemed she considered the conversation to be over and took hold of Beau’s hand again. “Let’s go find Gypsy.”
Beau shrugged at Chance. “Good to see you.”
“You, too.” He smiled and tipped his hat at Corinne. “Have a great day.”
“Thanks, Chance, you too.” He seemed like a good guy. Corinne still didn’t know what Beau’s problem with him was, or had been. They hadn’t gotten around to talking about it when they got home on Thursday—they’d both had other things on their mind.
After they’d visited with Gypsy and Troy and shared way too many mints with them, they made their way out of the barn and back into the sunlight.
“Hello!” Corinne was surprised to see Monique Remington coming down the lawn from the big house, waving at them as she came.
“Hey, Mom,” called Beau.
“Hello, darlings,” she said when she reached them. “I’m so glad I spotted you. Can you spare a little while to come up to the house?”
Beau looked at Corinne. “We’re just leaving. We’re headed down to the park.”
Monique gave Corinne an apologetic look. “I’m sorry. It won’t take long. It’s just that, by some miracle, everyone is around this morning.” She turned back to Beau. “Your dad wants to make the most of the opportunity to tell you all what his plans are.”
Corinne’s heart sank when she saw the way Beau’s expression changed. His jaw was set, his face turned stony. She knew this wasn’t something he’d been looking forward to.
She wanted to soothe him, to make him feel better, but he didn’t look as though he’d be interested right now. She gave his hand a little squeeze anyway, wanting him to know that she was there, and sympathized with whatever he was feeling. Even if she didn’t understand it. She hated to see him hurting, and she’d come to realize that that was what it was. Whenever he looked hard, or angry, or intimidating, he was usually hurt or afraid.
He gave her a grateful smile. “Do you mind?”
“Of course not. Ruby and I can wait at the cabin.”
“No, I want you to come with me.”
“Oh, do come,” said Monique. “Everyone is up there. I wouldn’t want you to be left out.”
Corinne didn’t know what to make of that. She wasn’t part of the family and this was family business.
Beau wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Please?”
She nodded.
“I want to come,” Ruby piped up.
“Well, come on then,” said Monique taking hold of her hand. “Let’s go and see everyone.”
When they reached the big house the kitchen was crowded, everyone was in there. Mason and Shane were talking with their dad. Gina and Cassidy were sitting at the kitchen table. Carter and Summer were chatting with Chance. Corinne felt like an intruder. She shouldn’t be here. All eyes turned toward them, making her feel even more uncomfortable. Their smiles were friendly enough, and she knew that if there was any tension it was more likely about Beau than her.
Dave Remington wasted no time. “Okay, now we’re all here, let’s sit down.” He gestured toward the big kitchen table.
Corinne wondered what these guys had been like growing up. The four of them and later Chance had all eaten at this table for years. They were all so different. All good-looking, especially Beau.
He waited until the others had chosen their seats and then pulled a chair out for her, sitting down at the one beside her. Ruby scrambled into his lap and smiled around at everyone. For once though she wasn’t getting much attention. There was serious business at hand.
“Okay,” said Dave. “I think you all know what’s coming.”
“You’ve gathered us all together to tell us you’re taking us to Disney Land?” Shane had everyone laughing and managed to break the tension.
“No, sorry. You’re going to have to take yourself, Shane.” He turned to Cassidy “Good luck with that! In the meantime, it’s time to tell you what I’ve decided to do with the ranch. As you know, Mason and Gina are going to be moving in here after they get married. And your mom and I are leaving for Arizona after the wedding. Things are going to be different around here when we come back, and I want to make sure that you all have your own stake in the place. I know you’d like to think we can just leave the place as it is and share it, but you’re all going to be starting families of your own at some point. You need a place that’s yours, to do with as you see fit, without it affecting your brothers.”
The guys nodded their agreement, but no one spoke. Dave pulled a sheet of paper out of his pocket and unfolded it. “So this is what I’m thinking.”
Everyone crowded in to see a rough hand-drawn map of the ranch. It was divided into five parcels. It looked pretty logical to Corinne. Mason’s share included the big house and the barn. Shane’s included the guest ranch and the acreage surrounding it. Carter’s was the northernmost portion of land. Chance got the cattle buildings and the cabin on his portion. She looked up to check Beau’s face. The part that was marked with his name was the southern end of the ranch. It bordered the land where the cottage sat. She knew that was land that he already owned, so it made sense. He didn’t look angry or like he was about to argue. He simply nodded and looked up.
All eyes were on him now. She knew they’d be expecting to hear his anger or disagreement or something. He smiled. “It looks good to me.”
“It does?” Dave sounded incredulous.
Beau nodded. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to kick up a fuss. I appreciate that I get the tract adjoining the land I own down there.”
His mom smiled at him. “We thought that made most sense.”
She shot a quick smile at Corinne. “And if you ever build a house down there, we’ll be right there on your doorstep.”
Corinne wondered what she meant, but it made Beau smile and that was all that mattered to her.
“Awesome.”
Chance was watching him closely. He looked wary, almost as though he wondered if he was walking into some kind of trap. The tension in the air was tangible.
Beau stood up. “Stop looking at me like that, would you, guys? There are no surprises here. It’s what we all expected. It’s all good. And if you don’t mind, we were on our way to the park.”
Ruby stood up to join him. She held her arms up to him and he scooped her up. Corinne scrambled to follow them.
When Beau reached the door. Ruby waved over his shoulder. “Bye! We’re going to see the buffaloes!”
~ ~ ~
No one said anything for a few moments after they’d gone. Chance wasn’t sure what to think, or what to say. He’d always felt a little guilty that he would become a part owner of the ranch. If anything, he agreed with Beau. He didn’t feel he was entitled to a share, and certainly not an equal share.
Dave caught his eye. “Don’t you go feeling bad. This is my decision. You’re respecting my wishes.”
Chance shrugged. “I know, but it’s hard not to feel guilty about it.”
Mason shook his head. “What’s to feel guilty about? And besides, Beau just said he didn’t have a problem with it. I say we should just take him at his word and let it go. The big bust up we all feared doesn’t look like it’s going to happen.”
Shane smiled. “It might sound strange coming from me, but I’ve gotta say, I’m proud of him.”
“Me, too,” added Carter. “He’s changed so much just in the last few weeks. He’s never been as bad as he liked to make out, but just lately, he’s come a long way.”
Monique smiled. “And we all know why.”
Chance smiled. “Ruby’s got him wrapped around her little finger.”
“And Corinne does, too,” added Dave. “I’m relieved he’s okay with it, but even more than that, I’m happy for him.”
Everyone nodded their agreement. Chance looked around, grateful that he’d become a member of this family. He did have his own family back in California: his sister, Missy, and their dad. But he hadn’t thought of Summer Lake as home for years. Montana was his home, this was the place where he belonged, and these were his people.
Shane punched his arm. “I know the cabin is yours now, but can I still have a claim on my old room?”
Chance raised an eyebrow at him.
He laughed. “For the times when Princess here gets mad and kicks me out for the night.”
Everyone laughed.
Cassidy grinned at him. “I wouldn’t do it if I were you Chance. I might just send him back to you permanently.”
He smiled. “Uh-oh. Don’t drag me into this one guys?”
“Okay,” said Cassidy. “But remember, it was your friend here that dragged you in, and me that let you off the hook.”
Shane laughed. “Yeah, so remember who you have to suck up to!”
“Anyway,” Dave cut across the banter. “Is everyone happy? Anyone got any questions, comments, or reservations?”
Chance looked him in the eye. “My only reservation is about what you two are going to do. I think you should keep the cabin. I can bunk in with the hands. It wouldn’t feel right, me living in there while you guys find a place in town.”
