Gia laughed. “Well, good morning.”
The cow let out a snort and ambled away. I recognized her as one of our recent mamas. She would be heading up into the barn to be milked. Even with all the freedom the ranch offered the herd, these animals were creatures of habit. They got into a routine and that was the way they wanted it. Right down to making sure everybody anywhere around knew their displeasure if they were forced to wait even a few minutes after when they wanted to get milked.
It wasn’t as pressing for this particular girl. She still had a baby nursing. But it would be weaning age soon and the demands on her milk supply were getting less. She still needed to be milked at least once a day.
“Good morning to you,” I said.
Gia turned a smile to me and pressed a quick kiss to my lips. “Good morning.”
“How did you sleep?” I asked.
“Really well, especially considering I’m just laying around outside naked. Not exactly the usual idea of a camping trip.”
“Did you do a lot of camping when you were growing up?” I asked. She gave me a withering look and I laughed. “All right, I’m going to go ahead and take that as a no.”
“So,” she said, tracing her finger down the middle of my chest. “I’m going to guess that we can’t just stay sprawled out here like this for the rest of the day.”
“Not unless you want my brothers to get to know you a whole lot better,” I said.
Gia groaned. “Definitely not on my list of things I’d like to do with my fresh new start. How long do we have until they head out this way?”
“Well, judging by the sun, they have probably already gotten to their horses and are getting ready to ride out.”
Gia’s eyes widened sharply, and she scrambled up to get dressed. I laughed and rolled onto my side to watch her. When she was almost fully dressed again, I got up and pulled my own clothes on. Picking up the blanket, I folded it back up and tucked it under my arm.
Gia found her phone and checked it. “Darcy didn’t even text me.”
“She knew you were in good hands. Besides, she said she wanted you to come out here and relax. She wouldn’t want to bother you if she thought you were doing that.”
“And most likely she fell asleep,” I said.
“That too.”
“I should still get home to check on her and Gabby. I don’t want Gabby to wake up and have me not there.”
Though she didn’t say anything about her daughter having a problem with her staying out all night during our first night together, I understood her need to get home. After all the disruption of the night before, she probably wanted to hug her daughter as much for herself as for the little girl. Maybe even more.
We held hands as we walked slowly across the ranch back toward the house. My brothers didn’t cross paths with us, but I was sure they noticed. I was going to hear plenty about it when I got back to the ranch. Gia was quiet as I drove her back to her apartment. She was lost in her thoughts, but for the first time since I noticed the frightened far-away look in her eyes when we first met, I wasn’t worried about what she was thinking about.
What she told me the night before filled me with hope and excitement for the future. Even when she got the apartment and moved in, there was still a sense of hesitation and uncertainty about her staying in Green Valley. Moving in meant she and Darcy intended on being here at least for a little while, maybe a few months, but there was nothing about it that was absolutely permanent. She didn’t tell me she was going to stay for good or that she wanted this to be her new home.
Not until last night. It seemed like the brutal encounter with Matteo had been exactly what she needed to make a final decision. She didn’t want to run anymore. She wanted to be here in Green Valley. With me. Her sitting quietly in my truck, staring out the window as she thought, made me feel at peace. It seemed like she was thinking about life here and what it was going to be like.
I couldn’t wait to show her how happy she could be here. I wanted her to spend more time at the ranch and get to know my family even more. I wanted my brothers to see what an amazing woman she was and for her relationship with Shannon to get closer. These friendships were going to be so important as Gia built her new life here.
We got to the apartment and I went inside with her. Gabby was just waking up and coming into the living room in her little nightgown, clutching the hand of a teddy bear. She rubbed her eyes and smiled widely when she saw her mother. With a little giggle, she ran across the room and bounced into Gia’s arms.
Seeing that made my heart give a hard thud. This little girl had already been through so much and now she was finally going to get the type of life she should have. I wanted that for her, but I wanted to be a part of it. Never in my life had I really spent much time imagining what it would be like to be a family man like my father was. The idea of getting married was always kind of an abstract, just something that was bound to happen because it happened to everybody.
I never really put much thought into it. I certainly never imagined what it would be like to have a wife or a child. Now that I watched Gia with her little girl and I had spent time with Gabby myself, it seemed real. It was something that not only could happen in my life but that I wanted so much.
After spending a few minutes at the apartment, I kissed Gia goodbye and headed back to the ranch. She and Darcy deserved some privacy to talk about what happened the night before. Even though they talked over the phone, it wasn’t a substitute for actually being able to see her best friend and show that she was okay and that everything was going to be okay.
When I got back to the house, I went into the kitchen and found Cassidy at the stove. With much of the early morning work done, the other brothers would soon be coming back to the house for breakfast. He used his spatula to scoop a few sausage patties out of the skillet and put them on a platter, then glanced over his shoulder to smirk at me.
I opened the refrigerator and pulled out a container of orange juice. “What?”
Cassidy shrugged and turned his attention back to cooking. “Nothing, little brother.”
“Sure,” I said. “So why don’t I believe you with that jackass smirk on your face?”
I got a glass down from the cabinet and poured juice into it. I drank it down, then went to the coffeemaker for something a bit stronger.
“Can’t I just be happy for you?” Cassidy asked.
“You’re happy for me?” I asked.
“Of course, I am. You were right. Gia is really great.”
“I know,” I said. “I told you. She’s amazing. I wish you had gotten a chance to meet her little girl, Gabby. She is the cutest thing. I know she would have the best time coming out here and running around in the fields. I can’t wait to see her up on a horse.”
My oldest brother gave me a knowing look. “There will be plenty of chances for all that. I have a good feeling I’ll be seeing both of them very soon.”
“Really?” I asked.
“Absolutely. This is a special one, Clayton. And I’m warning you now, you better not do anything dumb to mess it up. I never dreamed a girl like that would fall in love with your ugly mug. It makes me happy to see the two of you. I don’t want you doing something to ruin it.”
“I’m going to do my very best. I was thinking about going up to the library later today and looking up a book on how to not screw up great relationships,” I said playfully.
“You know, that might not be the worst idea ever. You don’t have a whole lot of experience in this area.”
He shuffled some scrambled eggs, sausage, and potatoes onto a plate and handed it to me. I set it on the table and went over to the toaster to toast up a couple of pieces of bread.
“That’s for sure,” I said. “And it’s definitely different with Gia. I’m not so sure if she loves me, but I know there’s something special going on between us. I just hope we’re going to keep it going and it will grow into something bigger.”
Cassidy shook his head
as he finished up the rest of the food for the brothers. “I saw the look in her eyes when she was staring at you all night. She loves you. She might not know it yet, but I do. And she will figure it out soon enough.”
The rest of the brothers streamed into the house as my heart filled with hope. That assessment from Cassidy was what I really needed to hear. My brother was never wrong. At least not when it was really important. And I couldn’t think of anything in my life more important than this.
Chapter 36
Gia
As soon as I walked into the apartment, Darcy jumped off the couch and ran to gather me up in her arms. Her hug was tight and protective, like she was reassuring herself of my safety more than she was comforting me.
“I am so glad you’re okay,” she said. She pushed back and searched my face. “You are okay, right?”
“You know what? I am. Like I said, I’m not physically hurt. He didn’t manage to attack me the way he wanted to. It was terrifying. But Clayton was there to save me. He kept Matteo at bay until he was arrested, and then he was right there with me through me having to interact with the deputy and everything. Then he brought me home with him so I could meet his family. And they are wonderful, Darcy. I didn’t get to meet all of them, but the ones I did were so sweet and funny. There wasn’t even a second when I felt out of the loop or like I wasn’t welcome. They made me feel like one of them.”
“That’s great,” she said. “I’m glad that made you feel better.”
“It really did,” I said, walking over to the couch and kicking off my shoes so I could drop down onto it. “It’s hard to describe, but it was like for the first time in as long as I can remember, I didn’t have Matteo there with me. Even when I’ve been comfortable and happy, he’s been right there in the back of my mind. I’ve felt like I’m still kind of waiting for him, if that makes sense. I felt safe and everything, but he was still there. But after everything happened, it wasn’t like that anymore. He’s finally gone.”
“You’re really happy here, aren’t you?” she asked.
“I am,” I said, the words coming out on a long breath. “I feel settled, like this really is supposed to be my home.”
Something flickered across my best friend’s eyes, but I couldn’t really tell what it was. She only let it stay there for a second before shaking her head slightly and leaning a little closer. “What are you going to do about Matteo? Are you still planning on going to court?”
“If that’s what it takes,” I said. “I want every charge possible pressed on him. Anything they can think of, I will absolutely support. And at this point, I’m not afraid to stand in front of him and testify. I had to go through having him attack me at work, and half the town saw Clayton rescue me. It doesn’t get much more public and in your face than that. I just want to hold him responsible for everything he’s done and make sure he has to pay for it. Once and for all.”
Darcy nodded. “I think that’s the right decision. He’s gotten away with his abusive behavior for way too long. It’s time for consequences. You deserve so much more than going through all of that for so many years, only for him to walk away. Even if he left Green Valley and you knew you never had to see him again, that isn’t enough. After everything he put you through and put Gabby through, it’s time he actually had to face up to it and deal with whatever is doled out to him.”
“Absolutely,” I agreed. “If he’s done this to me, there’s nothing to say he won’t do it to somebody else. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised to find out he already did during the time I’ve been running from him. If he goes to jail, he won’t have the ability to hurt anyone else, at least for however long they’re able to keep him. And that’s definitely something. Speaking of Gabby, though. Where is she? Did she sleep all right last night?”
“She’s in her room reading some books and coloring. She seems pretty subdued today, but I think it’s just because of all the craziness last night. I didn’t tell her anything, of course, but she can sense when things aren’t right.”
As if on cue, my little daughter came scurrying down the hallway for the living room. She had a piece of paper clutched in one hand and a crayon in the other.
“Hey, baby,” I said, opening my arms to her. “How are you doing?”
“I’m fine, Mama,” she said. Her little eyebrows were knitted together and there was a slightly concerned expression on her face. “Where does Clayton live?”
“Right here in Green Valley,” I said.
“No, where? Where does his house live?”
I looked at her questioningly. “Like his address?”
“Yes,” she said. She dropped to her knees in front of the coffee table and put her paper down, setting her crayon tip on it like she was poised and ready to write. “What is it?”
At not yet four years old, she was learning to shape her letters and could write her name, but that was the extent of her writing skills. I wasn’t sure what she was planning, but I was intrigued. I lowered myself down onto the floor with her and leaned close to her side.
“Why do you want to know Clayton’s address? Are you going to visit him?”
I looked up at Darcy with a smile. She gave me a tense one back. It looked like she was lost in thought, like everything I told her about Matteo really got to her.
“No,” Gabby said. “I want to write him letters when we’re gone.”
That took the smile off my face. “Gone? What do you mean?”
“When we have to move. I like Clayton. I want to write to him. Look.”
She pulled another crumpled piece of paper out of her pocket and held it out to me. Taking it, I smoothed it enough to be able to see what was on it. An uneven heart had a flower drawn in the center. Under it was her name in her sweet baby handwriting.
“This is wonderful, honey. I’m sure he will really love it. But you can just give it to him. You don’t have to mail it. We aren’t moving.”
“We aren’t?” Gabby asked.
I shook my head. “No. I know it probably felt scary last night and you might worry we have to leave, but we don’t. This is where we are staying.”
Gabby gasped, her eyes lighting up. “I have to tell my toys.”
She ran back off to her room and I turned a grin toward Darcy. But she wasn’t smiling back at me. The look in her eyes was back and I still couldn’t decipher it.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“There’s something I need to tell you,” she said.
My heart dropped. Nervousness rolled through my stomach, but I nodded. Getting up, I climbed back onto the sofa to sit beside her. “Go ahead.”
Darcy took a breath. Her eyes widened and narrowed like she was struggling with emotion. Finally, she closed them. “I’m not happy.”
“What’s wrong?” I asked, shifting slightly closer to her. “Did something happen?”
“No, I mean I’m not happy here in Green Valley,” she said.
My breath caught in my throat. “You’re not?”
Darcy shook her head. “It’s not where I want to be.”
“You chose this place. You suggested we stop here. In fact, if I remember correctly, you insisted. Then when we did, you talked about how perfect it is. You were thrilled when I said I thought we should get an apartment.” I spoke without thinking, trying to process what she was telling me.
“I know. When we were on the road, we had been driving for so long and it seemed like we would never find a place to stop. We needed a break and the sign for Green Valley showed up like… a sign.”
“It was a sign. It said fifteen more miles.”
“You know what I mean. Then we got here, and it was so sweet. Everybody seemed so welcoming and it was safe. As soon as we got out of the car, you looked like you felt better. It was like you could just tell this was where you were supposed to be. And it’s been nice. I like Clayton and Shannon and everybody else we’ve met. The shop is adorable, and I’ve enjoyed working there.”
Her voice trailed off
and I gave a slight nod. “But it’s just not right.”
She shook her head slowly. “Not for me. You are so happy here. You look settled and comfortable, like this is exactly what you’ve been looking for. And I’ve wanted to feel that way. I’ve been waiting to go from just liking it and having a nice time here to really feeling like it’s home. I figured any minute it was going to hit me and I would feel the same way about it that you do. But it never has. I don’t feel in place here. I want a big city with neon lights and action.”
I let out a short laugh through the tears forming in my eyes and the tightness in my throat. “Well, there’s a distinct lack of that in Green Valley.”
Darcy gave a similar laugh. “A little bit. But it isn’t just the excitement. If that was all, I could find somewhere around here and go out on the weekends. I want to build a career and make a life for myself. I don’t see that happening here. I just don’t see myself finding what I need and having a fulfilling life in Green Valley.”
“So you want to leave,” I said.
Darcy nodded. “I do. I’m so sorry. I’ve been trying to find my place here and convince myself that I’ll be happy eventually. You needed me and I wasn’t going to leave you. Now that you have Clayton and the situation with Matteo is finally handled, I feel comfortable with you being here. This really is where you are supposed to be. Now I’m ready to go find what life has out there for me.”
I stared at her for a few seconds, grappling with what she’d said. It never occurred to me that we weren’t going to do this together. From the very beginning, Darcy was by my side. I always envisioned her being there. Now I realized how selfish and short-sighted that was. She did all this for me. It was time for her to do it for herself.
“I’m going to miss you so much,” I said.
Darcy burst into tears and jumped toward me, throwing her arms around me in another hug. This one was warm and affirming. It wasn’t just about right now. This was one of the hugs we were going to have to hang onto so that it lasted us while we were apart.
His Dirty Hands (The Montgomery Boys Book 2) Page 21
