by JoAnn Durgin
In some ways, that tumble down the steps was their personal fall from grace. It was unusual for Natalie to stumble, much less fall with such dramatic consequences. Never mind that it was caused by a rotting stair and through no fault of her own. Her fall brought his indiscretions to light, making it his fall from grace in the eyes of his wife. Surely she never believed him to be perfect. Even though they never talked about it, surely she must suspect he had some history with other women by virtue of his background and not becoming a Christian until his late twenties, but neither had they come face-to-face with a former lover before.
Maybe on some level it was a good thing they were starting over, but instead of starting on even ground, the advantage was definitely in her corner. Before he could ever hope to win her back, he’d need to first reestablish her respect and trust. That, he feared, might prove the hardest thing of all. When Natalie returned to her seat a few minutes later, he’d managed to recover from the shock of that offensive article and replaced the magazine on her chair.
An impatient frown wrinkled her brow as she opened her purse and dug around inside. “Do you have any loose change or a couple of dollars? I want to get some gum or mints at the concessionaire and hate to break a twenty.”
“I think there’s some change in the pocket of my jacket. Look there.” He nodded toward his jacket draped on top of hers. Stretching out his legs, Marc returned his attention to his cell phone as he listened to a voice mail message from Trevor.
“I hope you’re not going to keep that thing chained to your ear the entire time we’re in Montana.” Though her voice was low and controlled, Natalie sounded accusatory.
“No,” he said between clenched jaws, “but I have an agency to run.” He didn’t mean to snap, but his defensiveness rose when she criticized his work ethic.
Her frown deepened. “I’m sure Trevor is more than capable of handling things for a couple of weeks.” Meaning she believed he overemphasized his sense of self-importance.
“Need I remind you, it’s my agency?”
“Trust me, I know. You remind me often enough.” She didn’t sound particularly proud of him now.
He swallowed his anger. “You might also remember that it’s the success of the agency that pays the mortgage on our house. You don’t even realize . . .” He stopped, not wanting to create another scene, this time in a very public place.
Those blue eyes blazed. “Tell me what you were going to say.”
He fixed her with his steady gaze, softening at the sight of her. “I work hard for you. For us. For our baby and our shared future together. You work hard, too, and trust me, I appreciate everything you do.” He made a rash decision he hoped he wouldn’t regret. “I promise you this—once we step foot on that plane, the cell phone goes away, and you won’t see it again until we get back to Boston.”
She’d pulled loose coins from his jacket pocket, but she also discovered something else. Her face blanched as she stared at the slip of paper in her fingers. Oh, no. For a former ballplayer, his reflexes sure were slow these days. As Natalie’s eyes slowly traveled upward to meet his, Marc knew. Knew she’d read that short, but blunt, note. As conveyed in the incredible sadness crossing her face, she accurately surmised both the meaning and the sender.
He hadn’t worn that jacket in a few years. Obviously hadn’t thought to look in the pockets. Closing his eyes, he steeled himself. He never expected his wife to find a suggestive note from Ashley Williams in her innocent search for spare change.
Oh, yes, he remembered that note well, and his cheeks colored with the memory as he berated himself for not destroying it. He’d forgotten about it, pushed it out of his mind. A scowl tipped down the corners of his mouth. He dared not look over at Natalie. Shoving the note in his hand, she darted away to get her gum or whatever, no doubt wanting to get as far away from him as possible.
Slumping into the rigid confines of the chair, he crushed the paper in his hand and aimed for the nearest trashcan. Score. Yeah, right. Resting his head on the back of the chair, he wished the ground would open up and swallow him whole. It’d probably be safer than sitting next to a woman who found him dirtier than pond scum. He stared through blind eyes at the water sprinklers on the ceiling. Nothing he could say would appease her.
He thought she’d give him the silent treatment, but now it would be a downright freeze-out. Not only was Natalie subdued, she was seething, spitting mad. She wouldn’t be talking to him the entire way to Helena. She’d study that article about cheating from Massachusetts to Montana. His hand clutched the arm of the seat that much harder.
It was going to be a very long trip.
Chapter 21
Nine-plus hours later, after jetting from Boston to Milwaukee, to Denver, to Helena—with short layovers in-between but thankfully no delays—they finally landed in Big Sky Country. Might as well have been agitated, spun around like mad until he was dizzy and hung out to dry. Natalie uttered all of sixty-four words to him since boarding the flight in Boston. He counted.
As soon as the plane landed and taxied to the gate, she unfastened her seatbelt and jumped up from her seat. Stretching his legs, he stifled a groan. Without a doubt, it was indeed the longest day of flying in his life, including his trips to Hong Kong and Australia. At least she hadn’t tried to swap seats. Reaching for her hand, Marc attempted to draw her back into her seat. “The plane’s early. We’ve got time. Let the others go first.” The windows were so fogged from the frigid temperatures he couldn’t see a thing on the ground.
Natalie stared ahead for a long moment before dropping back down beside him. His fingers reached into his pocket, touching his cell phone. You promised. Don’t make things worse. He darted a glance. Although he couldn’t read her expression, she didn’t appear angry. Thank you, Lord, for small favors. If anything, she looked rather frightened.
“Are you nervous?” One look at her trembling lower lip told him that was a dumb question.
She blew out a long sigh. “Yes.”
This would be the time for a hug, but she might not be receptive. He placed his hand on her arm. “Talk to me.” He was sincere, but it might also score some points on the old sensitivity meter.
“I’m supposed to know these people, be good friends with these people, and I don’t know if I’ll feel anything. That’s a scary feeling.” She twisted her hands before crossing her arms.
“I suppose it’s like going back to the school—having to relearn names, personalities—basically starting from scratch.” Squeezing her arm, he gave her a smile of reassurance.
Her expression registered surprise. “Thanks for trying to understand.” She turned her head, blocking any further conversation. One compliment at a time must be her quota.
“I think it’s okay to get up now.” It felt good to stand and stretch.
As soon as the words were out, Natalie hopped out of her seat again. Reaching above to the overhead compartment, she startled as he stepped into the aisle and unlatched the lock. “I’ll get it. You just had the one carry-on, right?” She nodded as he retrieved both their bags. Standing so close, he felt her warmth, and the familiar longing stirred inside. For a moment, he allowed his gaze to brush over her eyes, her nose, her mouth. Her eyes met his, but lowered first.
He cleared his throat, breaking the spell. “Let’s go meet Sam and Lexa.” Daring to put his hand on the small of her back, he cringed when he felt her back stiffen, even through her fifty layers of clothing. Following the steady stream of passengers into the main terminal, a smile upturned his lips.
Sam Lewis stood out in the small crowd, especially with that black Stetson. Lexa stood beside her man, as lovely as ever. Marc leaned close as they walked. “The tall guy in the black hat is Sam, and the tiny blonde beside him is Lexa.” When Natalie hesitated, her steps faltering, he propelled her forward. At least this time she didn’t cringe.
“He’s very handsome, and she looks like she could fit right in the palm of his hand.” He heard the amusemen
t in her voice as he waved to them.
“Natalie!” Lexa walked toward them, warm and welcoming. His wife gave them a shy smile. Not missing a beat, Lexa opened her arms and pulled her into a hug, similar to how Sam hugged him when he first arrived in Houston. “I know you might not remember us, but if not,” Lexa said, a twinkle in her eye as she winked at him, “you’ll get to know us all soon enough.”
“To know us is to love us.” The warmth in Sam’s tone was equal to his hug as he enveloped Natalie in a quick embrace before shaking hands with him. “Nice to see you again. Glad you could make it. Let’s go get your luggage.”
It was hard to ignore the admiring stare Natalie gave Sam. The man had an aura about him, a presence hard to define but impossible to ignore. Kind of like some of his star clients. Only they knew people looked at them in awe, and expected it. Sam was either oblivious or didn’t give a whit.
“They’re all here, Natalie’s closest friends from TeamWork,” Sam said. “Except for one young man who’s working through some personal issues.” A hint of sadness tinged that deep voice and a shadow crossed Sam’s face as they waited by the baggage carousel, but it was gone a moment later, replaced by his customary smile.
“How did you manage that?” Marc asked. The man was a miracle worker.
“It was the Lord’s doing. Can’t take the credit,” Sam said.
Humble, too. Telling Sam he needed to reclaim Elwood, Marc departed. When he returned a few minutes later, Elwood barked and jumped around inside his carrier.
“Who’s this little guy?” Lexa asked, peering inside. “Hey there, little fella. He’s so cute.” Tilting his furry head, Elwood piped down and graced Mrs. Lewis with his best impression of a downtrodden mutt.
“Traitor,” Marc muttered under his breath. “This would be Elwood Thompson.”
Sam laughed. “My wife attracts all the guys. Let me guess, Blues Brothers?”
“Exactly. Natalie named him. Seems to fit. Let me take him outside for a few minutes so he can get out his aggression for being subjected to that long trip. I thought it might help Natalie to bring him. I hope that decision wasn’t a mistake.”
“Based on Lexa’s reaction, I don’t think it is. The women will love having him around.”
Marc nodded. “Be back in a few minutes.”
Thankfully, Elwood relaxed once he exercised on his leash. Shivering in the cold, he tugged his jacket tighter around his neck, crossed his arms over his midsection and prayed under his breath. This had better be worth the trip, Lord.
Their bags were sitting at Sam’s boot-covered feet as he walked back into the baggage claim area. “Is Natalie okay, Marc?”
Glancing over to where she was engaged in conversation with Lexa, Marc sighed. “Physically, she’s fine.” Sam wasn’t talking about the amnesia, but he wasn’t willing to get into anything deeper. He couldn’t open the floodgates now, or there might be no stopping him. It wasn’t the time or the place.
“Forgive me for being direct, but I sense some pretty bad tension between the two of you.” That piercing gaze shot straight through him. This man was most likely a student of human nature, which would also explain why Lexa called him “Mr. Freud” a few times during his Houston visit.
“How can you tell?” Defensiveness was never flattering, but he couldn’t help it. Sensing his stare, Natalie looked his way without so much as a glimmer of affection.
“Sorry if I offended,” Sam said. “Lexa tells me I’m too direct sometimes and need to back off. I don’t want to send you running in the opposite direction, especially since you’ve just arrived. Welcome to Montana, by the way.”
“Thanks. It takes a lot to offend me. I know you want to help, and I can use your insight. Besides, you didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know.”
“We’ll work through this thing together. I hope you’ll allow me the honor of being your friend. Whatever you need, that’s why I’m here.”
“I appreciate it, Sam. More than you know.” He didn’t trust himself to look at him.
Natalie looked much more at ease as she and Lexa rejoined them.
Sam led the way out of the terminal and into the parking area. “Have you eaten lately?”
“Breakfast sandwiches this morning. Not much since. Seems the airlines aren’t big into food service these days.”
“That was hours ago,” Lexa said. “You must be starving. Sam, let’s take them to that fun little steak place we found the other night.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Sam stopped beside a white SUV, and opened the back door on the driver’s side. “Natalie?” He made sure she was settled before doing the same for Lexa while Marc loaded their bags in the back.
Instead of seating Lexa in the back with Natalie, as expected, he put her in the passenger seat. Stepping to one side of the SUV, Marc could tell Natalie wasn’t pleased, judging by her continuing frown. Marc blew out a sigh as Sam came around to the back of the SUV. “Thanks a lot.” It was muttered under his breath, not intended to be heard. When Sam laughed, Marc cocked a brow and gave him a wry look. “I hope you realize you’re making me look bad here.”
“Don’t worry. When I’m done with you, you’re going to smell like a rose,” Sam said, closing the back of the SUV as Marc picked up Elwood’s carrier to put in the back between the two of them. As if they needed any more barriers, but it was the only place it would fit.
Sam regaled them with the history of some of Helena’s landmarks as they exited the airport and headed out on the highway. Marc only heard every other word, but at least they were fun, interesting facts.
Lexa beamed. “Can you tell my husband’s a history buff?”
Natalie used to look at him like that. Not that she’d remember. Settling back into the backseat of the car, disgruntled, Marc leaned one elbow on the armrest and stared out the window at the snow-covered ground. Even though he was used to snow in Boston, it made him feel cold all over thanks to the freeze-out going on in the back seat. A few miles down the road, he caught Sam watching him in the rearview mirror. Their eyes met and held. Unsure whether to be grateful or irritated, Marc shifted and turned his head. He had a pretty good feeling Sam knew what was going through his mind. The man had him pegged already.
A short time later, the foursome sat in a cozy booth at a steakhouse outside the city. Lexa told them it was a twenty-minute drive to their final destination of Milestone Ranch. Marc hadn’t told Natalie the name of the ranch, and she looked vaguely amused.
“Natalie, tell us about your work at the kindergarten,” Lexa said as their salads were delivered. After Sam asked the blessing, Natalie answered their questions. Watching them draw her into the conversation, Marc was grateful for this couple’s sensitivity, especially since she’d clammed up after being forced to sit beside her husband.
“Can you tell me a little bit about the past TeamWork missions in San Antonio?” Natalie asked as the server delivered the main course. Both Sam and Lexa entertained them with amusing stories of how Lexa defied his orders not to work at the worksite on Sundays, resulting in a stand-off with a pesky armadillo. They learned about the kidnapping attempt and adventure they shared toward the end of their time together at the memorable TeamWork camp three years before. He’d never heard that story before, and Natalie showed no signs of recollection.
“I’ll say one thing,” Marc said, shaking his head, “life is never dull with Lewis and Clarke.”
Natalie’s eyes widened. “Clarke is your maiden name?” She grinned when Lexa nodded. “Lewis and Clarke. Seems very fitting.”
Sam intertwined his fingers with his wife’s. “We were destined to be together the moment she called me Sam Clarke by mistake—right after she’d fallen off the top of one of the houses we were building and I caught her.”
“In more ways than one. I still can’t believe I did that.” Lexa shook her head with a sheepish grin.
“Calling me the wrong last name or falling off the house?”
“Both.�
�� She leaned her head against Sam’s broad shoulder. “My only excuse is that I was knocked off-kilter by your overwhelming presence.”
Sam smiled and grunted. “So, Marc. Your turn. Tell us more about what’s happening with your agency these days. What impressive new clients have you signed?” While they ate, Marc told them about a few of his major ad campaigns, past and present.
“I’m sure you’re a wonderful boss,” Lexa said after he told them of his plans for an upcoming Christmas ski outing he’d planned in Maine for his entire staff.
“Those people are my lifeblood,” Marc said. “Without them, I wouldn’t be able to survive, professionally speaking. They’re creative, supportive and loyal, and I couldn’t ask for more. They give above and beyond, and definitely more than I deserve. They’re a great team, and I thank God every single day for them.”
“You must be very proud of him, Natalie,” Lexa said, darting a quick glance his way.
“I am. Marc works hard and definitely deserves his success.” Natalie avoided looking at him, but it was a nice compliment and shot a thrill of adrenaline straight through his system. It also gave him hope. Freezing cold temperatures or not, Montana was already starting to grow on him.
Chapter 22
Sam sat across from Marc in the kitchen of the main house later that evening, sharing coffee. Exhausted from the trip, Natalie had retired to the women’s cabin an hour earlier. The other ladies had been kind and welcoming, doing their best to make her feel comfortable. For that, he was grateful, although he found it difficult to hide his irritation she hadn’t bothered to tell him good night. The slight angered him, but he knew he was being selfish. It had been a long trip, and she was pregnant, after all.
They talked sports for a few minutes before Sam hit him with the question he knew he wanted to ask all along. “Is there something in particular that’s happened between the two of you to cause this frostiness?”
