Chapter 28
Gia
“Can I ask you one more thing?” Clayton asked.
“Of course,” I said.
“Why is Darcy with you? I mean, I’m glad she is. But why would she come all this way with you?”
I almost laughed at the awkwardness of the question, but I understood why he asked it. I just poured my soul out to him, telling him everything that happened with Matteo and my family. It made sense for him to wonder how Darcy fit in with all this.
“She’s my best friend,” I said. “I know that doesn’t sound like much, like it’s too simple of an explanation, but that’s what it is. She and I have been really close ever since we were children. She was always the adventurer. I knew from the time we were preteens she was going to go out into the world and experience amazing things. It was like our friendship was on borrowed time.”
“That’s a sad way to think about it,” Clayton said.
“Not really. Because it’s not like I thought we would never talk again. It was just that I wasn’t going to have her around all the time. And I was right. She ended up leaving and venturing out to see what else she could find. But as soon as she found out about Gabby and everything I was going through, she was there for me. In an instant, like no time had passed. Like she had been living right there with me every second. She was my support system. She made sure I had a baby shower even though I had no family left. She was with me when Gabby was born.”
“But you said you and Gabby moved from place to place by yourselves,” Clayton said.
“We did,” I said. “Darcy eventually had to go back to her life. I reassured her everything would be fine. I could handle it on my own. Matteo was out of my life. He didn’t even know Gabby existed. I really thought things were going to be fine. Right up until he found out about her at six months old. That’s when things got really scary and I didn’t want to get Darcy wrapped up in it.”
“I feel you on that,” Clayton said. “Somebody important to you? You wouldn’t want them at risk. I still don’t like that you were on your own.”
“Neither does she,” I said. “That’s something she brings up all the time. I should have gone straight to her. I should have packed everything up and moved in with her immediately. We could have handled Matteo. We can handle anything. I still couldn’t do that to her. But eventually, I couldn’t take it anymore. I’d run out of places to run. Out of options. Out of hope really. She picked me up, dusted me off, and made sure I was going to be okay. When Matteo showed up again, she was right there to say we were in it together.”
“It’s awful that you had to go through any of that, but I sure am happy this is where you ended up,” Clayton said.
I took a trembling breath and let it out slowly. Willing my eyes to stop forming tears, I tried to force a smile. “Well, that definitely wasn’t what I was expecting with my lunch break.”
“I’m sorry,” Clayton said. “That was too much. I shouldn’t have sprung all that on you.”
I shook my head and held on to his hand tighter so he couldn’t pull it away from me. “No. I’m glad you did. I’ve been meaning to tell you why I came here. I just couldn’t think of how to do it. It’s not exactly a fun conversation. Not one that immediately springs to mind when considering chats to have early in a relationship.” I paused. The words startled me, coming out of my mouth. “I’m sorry. We haven’t talked about—I mean—”
Clayton leaned across the table to kiss me. “I’m glad you told me.”
Apparently, that was enough. We hadn’t talked about it or given what was going on between us any real definition. But he wasn’t arguing with me and that felt good.
“I should get back to work,” I told him.
We stood up and he gathered me up in his arms. “I’ll see you later tonight.”
“Are you going to come by the apartment?” I asked. “I can make something for dinner?”
“Yes,” Clayton said. “But don’t make dinner. We’re not staying there.”
“We’re not?” I asked. “Where are we going?”
“I’m going to come over after work is done at the ranch and pick you, Darcy, and Gabby up. I’m bringing you back to the ranch with me for supper.”
My heart leapt in my chest and I couldn’t stop the smile that stretched across my face. “Really?”
“Absolutely. I know I brought you there to see my favorite spot, but that’s not really introducing you to it, is it? I think it’s about time you met the rest of the boys. At least, those who are around right now. I want to bring you home and show you off.”
I was so excited I could barely contain myself. If I needed confirmation we were at least on our way to a real relationship, this was more than I could have hoped for. Clayton didn’t just want to have fun. And he wasn’t just interested in forming a bond with me. He included my daughter and my best friend, who was the closest thing I had to family. No. She was my family. She was everything family was supposed to be.
“I can’t wait,” I told him.
“Good,” Clayton said. “Then I’ll see you tonight.”
He kissed me again and walked out, leaving me with a swarm of butterflies fluttering around in my stomach. They stayed there for the rest of the shift. But I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
Clayton Montgomery seemed too good to be true. That was a phrase I had heard so many times in my life, but I always thought it was trite and a little ridiculous. Now I couldn’t think of a better way to describe this incredible man who quite literally stumbled into my life.
He was everything I’d never experienced in a man. Everything women dreamed of when they were little girls but I’d come to believe didn’t actually exist. Women didn’t lose their shoes running down stairs at midnight. They didn’t wait in glass coffins to be brought back to life by a prince. Or sleep until the man they were betrothed to at birth discovered them. They didn’t fall in love at first sight or get swept into a glorious marriage that brought them through their happily ever after.
And they didn’t find a man who spoke to them sweetly, held their hand, and kissed them like they were the most beautiful woman in the world after the first two conversations. I never really believed there was a man out there who would do something like help me move and fix up an apartment, so it was good enough for me. Or bring me to look at the stars.
I ran away from a man who made my life a living hell. A man who made me never want to trust my heart to anyone again. What were the chances I would meet a man like Clayton when I was running?
My smile must have given me away because as soon as I walked back into the kitchen, Missy gave me a knowing look. “What did that boy say to you to make you smile like that?”
“He asked me to go over to his ranch tonight to have dinner with his brothers,” I said.
“You’re going over to the Montgomery Ranch to have dinner with all those boys?” she asked.
“Well, most of them. I think two of them aren’t at home.”
“Colt and Garrett,” Missy said.
I looked at her in surprise.
“One thing you’re going to learn about Green Valley, honey, everybody knows everything about everybody else. It’s just a matter of time. And since the Montgomery family has been here a few generations now, it’s been plenty of time for all of us to know about them.”
“So,” I asked, tying my apron back around my waist. “What do you know about them?”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“Well, this is the first time I’ll be meeting all of them but Jesse.”
“That’s right, his girl Shannon got you this job,” she said.
“And my apartment,” I said. “But I haven’t met the other ones. And I don’t really know much about their family. He mentioned his parents are deceased, but that’s as much as he’s told me.”
“His mama died when the youngest boy Sawyer was not much more than a baby. Just a little bit of a thing. After that, his daddy took over and raised all eight boys whi
le running the ranch. He was a good man. Strong, capable. But then his mind started to go right along with his body. It got bad. That’s when Jesse left. He fought to stay here a long time. He didn’t want to give up on his ranch or his boys. But finally, he went up to be with his wife. Now it’s just them.”
“Wow,” I said. “That’s a lot to go through.”
“And one other thing I can tell you is that those Montgomery men grew up to be a pretty hot commodity around here. Not just because all of them are gorgeous and they live on some of the most beautiful, desirable property in the area. But also because they are notoriously hard to catch. With the exception of Garrett, all their time, energy, and concentration goes right into working that ranch of theirs. They take carrying on the legacy very seriously.”
“And what about Garrett?” I asked. “Clayton said he’s gotten himself on the wrong side of the law and hasn’t been home in quite a while. What’s his story?”
“You know,” Missy said. “That might be the one thing that everybody doesn’t know. If you find out more, you let me know.”
She winked at me and I giggled, then promised her I would.
I thought about Clayton and our upcoming dinner for the rest of the time I was at the diner. I couldn’t believe my luck. If I hadn’t agreed to stop in this little town for one night of a break from our road trip, I never would have met him. And I wouldn’t be going to see his ranch and his family for the first time.
I never had someone want to share so much of themselves like this. And for the first time, I didn’t feel like I had to hide myself either. My mind kept venturing right to the edge of something I was trying not to let myself have but couldn’t help. Could this be what I thought it was? Could I be falling in love with Clayton?
So quickly? So easily? Just the thought that I could be falling in love like this left me breathless. I was used to fighting and anger and pain. Not kindness, contentment, and peace. Being with Clayton made me realize how easy it could actually be. How right it should feel.
My excitement and anticipation hadn’t lessened by the end of the evening as I closed up. Missy and the rest of the staff had already left for the night. It was the first time I was handling closing up for the night by myself, but all I was thinking about was the minutes ticking by until Clayton would be at my door. I needed to get home and shower so I didn’t smell like fried food and spilled coffee.
I was wiping down the last table and hoping no one else would show up in the last half hour of the diner being open as I thought about what to wear. It was just his house, so I didn’t want to be too fancy. But it was my first impression for his brothers, so I didn’t want to look too sloppy either.
The sound of the chime over the door stopped my thoughts long enough for me to turn around to greet the customer. My heart sank when I saw the doorway.
“Matteo.”
The name came out of me like a gasp of breath rather than a spoken word.
His lips curled in a grotesque, terrifying smile. “Hey, baby girl. Never thought I’d find you in a dusty little shit town like this.” He moved closer to me. “You know, you never should have run.”
Chapter 29
Clayton
“I wish you would have given me some more notice,” Cassidy said. “I would have cross-stitched a couple of pillows to throw on the couch. Got to make this place look presentable for Clayton bringing home his first girl.”
“She is not my first girl,” I said. “You’re acting like I’m thirteen years old.”
“Have you or have you not ever brought a girl home for dinner?” Cassidy asked.
I stared at him for a few seconds before rolling my eyes, sitting down to pull on my boots amid a cascade of laughter from my brothers. They knew just as well as I did this was the first time I invited anybody to have dinner with us at the ranch. I wouldn’t go so far as to say I had any serious relationships in my life, but I had done some dating here and there. All those dates were restricted to restaurants and movies. This was the first time I even considered bringing someone home.
“I don’t see you traipsing a parade of women in and out of here either,” I said. “In fact, the only one around here who has gotten even close to bringing somebody home is Jesse. And that’s just Shannon.”
“Hey,” Jesse said.
“Yeah, hey,” Shannon said, coming into the room with a bag from the market. She kissed Jesse. “What are we hey-ing about?”
“Clayton here said the only one of us who has even come close to bringing anybody home is me,” Jesse said. “And that it was ‘just Shannon.’”
“You know that’s not how I meant it,” I said after she gasped and stared at me in mock horror.
“Just Shannon?” she asked. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Maybe that we’ve known you since we were kids when you just kind of drifted your way into our lives and never really left,” I said.
“Wow,” she said.
“Yeah, not making things a whole lot better with that one, big brother,” Sawyer said.
“What I mean is Shannon has always been around. She’s been here since we were young and there might have been a break in there when she wasn’t around, but it wasn’t like Jesse was bringing her to his home. He was just bringing her, you know, home.”
It wasn’t the smoothest collection of words I’d ever rambled out, but the point seemed to stick.
Shannon gave me a forgiving look and started unpacking the groceries she’d carried in. “Why are we talking about that?” She paused and gasped. “Are you bringing Gia here?”
“I’m still just a bit aggravated that Shannon knows this girl before I do—or any of the rest of us for that matter,” Sawyer said.
Shannon swung her hip in his direction, planting her hand on it and glaring at him in a way that would have reminded anyone she was a woman even if she was in her mechanic overalls and a welding helmet.
“What the hell is this, be mean about Shannon day?” she asked.
“Sorry,” Sawyer said. “I didn’t mean it like that.”
She scoffed. “A lot of not meaning stuff any sort of way happening around here tonight. But that didn’t answer my question. Clayton, are you bringing Gia over here for dinner tonight?”
“Yes,” I said. “And these jackasses won’t stop harassing me over it.”
I gestured at my brothers, who at least all had the decency to try to look sheepish about it. All but Wade, who just looked over at her with an even, unchanging expression.
“I didn’t say anything, not even to offer to crochet a blanket to go with Cassidy’s throw pillows,” he said.
Shannon looked confused as the guys howled with laughter.
I shook my head. “Sometimes, I wish you people weren’t my brothers so I could hate you.”
“Oh, come on,” Boone said, throwing his arm around my shoulders and giving me a playful shake. “It’s all in good fun. We’re just happy to see our brother finally finding a girl he thinks is special enough to bring to the ranch. That’s all.”
“Well, I did. And it’s going to be two girls.” I paused. “Three actually.”
All six of them stared at me.
“Are you making up for lost time?” Jesse asked. “I don’t think it’s supposed to work that way.”
I wanted to just leave it like that and let them wonder, but I didn’t want that comment coming back on me later. “Her daughter Gabby and her best friend Darcy are coming too.”
“Wow,” Cassidy said. “You must be serious if you’re bringing them, too.”
“Is that why you sent me to get all this stuff?” Shannon asked, looking at Cassidy.
He nodded. “Yeah. I appreciate it. I didn’t have time to get to the market today and I wanted to make something special for Clayton’s girl.”
“That’s so sweet,” Jesse said in a teasing tone. “You’re going to make a really good wife someday.”
“Watch it,” Shannon said, swatting him.
They all laughed even if it wasn’t obvious whether she was smacking him for being sexist or for the shaded commentary on her cooking.
“I’m leaving,” I said and headed for my keys.
“I thought you still had some time before you were supposed to be at her apartment,” Cassidy said.
“That would be if I was going to her apartment,” I said. “But thanks to my loving and supportive family, I’m going to pick her up at work. It’ll give me the extra time to properly debrief her about the motley crew I’m bringing her home to.”
Before any of them could latch onto the word debrief, I grabbed my keys and went out to my truck. Gia was expecting to go home and get ready before I picked her up, but I didn’t want to wait to see her. Even if my brothers hadn’t been giving me a hard time about bringing a girl home, I would still have wanted to get to her earlier. I wanted every minute I could get with her.
So I figured I’d go by the restaurant to pick her up and go to the apartment so we could grab Darcy and Gabby. We could all fit in my truck, and after dinner, I would just bring her back to the car so they could bring it home. As I drove to town, I thought about this amazing girl and how she came into my life like a whirlwind. I never expected her, but there she was, and I didn’t want her going anywhere.
But that immediately brought my mind back to the conversation we had earlier. I didn’t want her to leave, but I also had to come to terms with the fact that her life wasn’t one I could ever fully understand. She said she felt comfortable and at home in Green Valley and that she wasn’t planning on going anywhere again. But I had to be realistic. I also had to accept that her feeling safe was more important to me than having her to myself.
That meant if something changed, I had to accept it. If she had to go back on the road and run again, I had to be willing not to stand in her way.
As much as it hurt to even think about it then, I knew I wouldn’t stop her. I would miss her. I would wish things could be different. But that was as far as it could go. I couldn’t leave the ranch. All I could hope was that maybe she would come back to me one day.
His Dirty Hands (The Montgomery Boys Book 2) Page 17
