“We got everything we needed. Mac was great.”
Mac, his ranch manager, had driven them everywhere, finding different locations to suit their needs. The only thing Mac had been concerned about was Gracie. He was sure every bump and ditch they’d lurched over would send her into labor. Considering the stories he’d heard from Mac, Alex didn’t think the photo shoot was the problem.
“Is everything all right?” he asked.
She stood beside the old library’s check-out desk. She’d sanded and painted the wood, transformed it into a gleaming sales counter. The shelving boxes stacked on top of the counter were taller than she was. “I’m fine. Just…you know.”
No, he didn’t know, but he was about to find out. He left the punch-out list on top of a crate and headed across to Emily. She was running her finger along the end of one box, matching the dimensions of the shelves with the fit-out plan in front of her.
“What happened?”
Her hand dropped to the counter. “It’s nothing, not really. I didn’t get much sleep last night, so I’m a bit tired.”
Trying to get Emily to talk about her feelings was like riding a bull. It seemed to take forever to open the gate and once you were free you didn’t know what would happen. You could either end up butt first on the ground or hanging on until the eight-second whistle blew.
“Dad stopped by yesterday.”
His whole body tensed. “Did you call Cody?” Because she sure as hell hadn’t called him.
She shook her head. “I didn’t let him inside. He was only on my porch for a few minutes.”
Alex’s teeth ground together out of sheer frustration. If he let the string of words gathering inside his head burst out his mouth, she’d run a mile. “What did he say?”
“He said he was sorry.”
“What else?”
Emily bit her bottom lip and looked down at the desk. He stuck his hands in his pockets in case he was tempted to pull her into his arms.
“He asked me to meet him for coffee. Today.”
Alex didn’t like the way this conversation was heading. He could see confusion and sadness and a whole pile of other emotions on Emily’s face. He knew she was thinking about meeting him. Against her brother’s advice and common sense, she wanted to give her father another chance.
“What are you going to do?”
She took a deep breath. “Nothing. I’m not going to see him, or talk to him, or find out where he’s going. I can’t…” She stared at Alex and a lifetime’s worth of sorrow shone from her eyes. “I can’t keep believing that one day he’s going to be a good person. It’s finished. My dad and I are finished.”
He wanted so badly to make everything right. He knew how much she loved her family, and for all his deep, shitty faults, he knew she loved her father. “For what it’s worth, I think you’ve made the right decision.”
“So do I.” She cleared her throat and hauled one of the boxes off the top of the pile. “I guess I’d better start building some shelves before the boss fires me.”
Alex cut open the tape from the opposite end of the box. “If you can figure out how to put these together I might buy you a coffee myself.”
“As long as the coffee comes with cake and we do it tomorrow, you’ve got yourself a deal.” Emily pulled a long length of black steel tubing from the box. She frowned at another odd shaped piece of metal. “Did they send an instruction sheet?”
Alex grinned. “I didn’t think you’d need instructions.”
“I’m good, Alex Green, but not that good.”
“I’m sure you’ll be fine, but just in case, I taped the instructions to the box beside the cash register.”
Emily walked around the back of the desk and glanced at the sheets of paper. She looked at the boxes, then back at the instructions, a worried frown on her face. “This might take longer than I thought.”
Alex couldn’t have been happier. At least that way he’d know where she was, and more importantly, where her father wasn’t.
***
“Up a bit higher. No. You’ve gone too far.”
“For Pete’s sake, Emily, make up your mind. In case you haven’t noticed, this mirror is heavy.”
“I can’t help it if you don’t follow my directions. Stop there. That’s perfect.” Emily took a few steps backward to appreciate the gilt-framed mirror sitting between two large wrought iron shelving units. It looked beautiful, more than beautiful. It looked chic and glamorous. A little piece of Paris right in the center of Montana.
“Come here, Alex. Look at what we’ve created.” She beckoned him across the room. He might have grumbled, but he came. They’d spent the last three hours piecing together the shelves, screwing them to the walls and arguing about the style. Alex thought they looked too heavy against the red paint. Emily thought they looked amazing.
“I’m ready to admit I was wrong,” Alex said. “Once we’ve got everything on the walls the electrician can put those fancy light fittings above the mirrors.”
One of those fancy light fittings was sitting under the sales counter. Emily had snuck into the boutique last night and found it carefully stacked on some bookshelves upstairs. “We could put one up now and see what it’s going to look like.” She stared at a bare bulb dangling from the ceiling. “If you hold the ladder, I’ll do the attaching.”
“It can wait a few days. I’m not sure where we stored them and I want to finish the shelving. Cody and Sam are coming in tomorrow to give me a hand with the mirrors.”
Emily moved around the back of the sales counter. “Goodness me, what have I got here.” She grinned as she pulled a large box out from under the desk. “I wonder how this got here?”
“When did you…? I didn’t leave here until after six last night and the chandelier wasn’t behind the counter then. What time did you break in?”
“I didn’t, break in. I’ve got a key.”
“What time, Emily?”
“Sometime around nine o’clock,” she admitted. “And before you tell me what a bad person I am, I not only brought the chandelier downstairs, but I swept the floor and tidied up your tools.”
“I appreciate your help, but not at night. And definitely not when you’re here alone. It’s not safe.”
“You’re here all the time on your own. Are we hanging this chandelier together, or am I doing it on my own?”
Alex stomped across the room. “I’m turning the power off. Don’t even think about getting anywhere near the ladder until I get back. You can start unpacking the box.”
Emily smiled sweetly and nodded. Alex didn’t know that she’d already put the antique chandelier together. The hard part had been gently wiggling it back into the box without breaking anything.
“Power’s off. Let’s look at the chandelier.”
Emily popped open the lid and started to lift the chandelier out of the box. “It’s gorgeous, isn’t it?”
Alex growled low in his throat. Before she had time to step back, he leaned forward and took the heavy light fitting out of her hands. “What am I going to do with you?”
Emily had a hard time coming up with an answer. Ever since their two-second kiss, Alex had kept his distance, barely moving within three feet of her. But he was close now. So close that she could feel his body heat radiating toward her, warning her that she was slipping into somewhere she might not be able to get out of.
“I might get the wrong idea if you keep staring at me like that.”
“Like what?” she whispered.
“Like you want to gobble me up.”
She licked her dry lips. “I’m feeling kind of hungry.”
Alex dropped his gaze to her lips and swallowed deeply. “You’re sure about this?”
“I’ll tell you in a couple of minutes.” She reached out and guided his arm to the counter. He rested the chandelier on its side then turned to face her. Before he could say anything she rose on tiptoes and kissed him. Then she kissed him again, not quite as gently. Maybe eve
n desperately. It was hard to tell when her entire body shook with desire.
And when he hauled her close, pressing her against him, she knew she was lost. He bunched her t-shirt in his fingers, slipped his hand beneath the cotton. His calloused skin rubbed against her, driving her crazy with need.
Before she knew what her body was about, she wrapped her legs around his waist and held on for dear life. Alex groaned when she used the extra leverage to move against him. Then she groaned even more when he pulled her in tight, doing a little grinding of his own.
“Upstairs. The couch,” she panted between kisses. Alex’s lips moved to her neck, nuzzling and nipping. Everything tilted, went fuzzy and left her desperate for more.
“It’s old and lumpy.” A shudder passed through his body when her fingers grazed his nipples.
“Do you want sex or not?” Before she’d taken another breath, Alex practically ran to the front door, threw the lock, and sprinted upstairs. Emily bounced against his chest and couldn’t have been happier.
He lifted her off his waist, stood her on her feet. With a quick sweep of his arm, he cleared a bunch of papers and folders off the couch. “I’ll just move some of the…Holy shit, Emily.”
She smiled and dropped her bra to the ground. Before her fingers made it to the button on her jeans, Alex was in front of her, holding her breasts, teasing her nipples with his mouth. And then his teeth. Her knees wobbled, her body throbbed. She knew if she didn’t get Alex Green buck naked in the next two minutes at least one of them was going to explode.
She worked fast, undoing his shirt, thanking every western designer in the world for their quick release snaps. Then his jeans. She struggled with the buttons, left Alex to the task when she felt his hands on hers, ripping each button open in double quick time. She shimmied out of her own clothes and nudged him backward, against the couch.
He was one step ahead of her, pulling her down on top of him, moving her body against his until they were both mindless and panting.
She lifted her hips, sank deep and fast, surrounded him with her heat and nearly passed out from the pleasure.
“Jesus, Emily. I’d forgotten how…”
He moved his hand, pushed on a sweet spot that unraveled what was left of the here and now. She cried out, bucking against him, driving like a piston. He matched her frantic pace, holding her hips, straining against the pleasure overtaking them.
Then it was there. Alex cried out her name. It was heat and light and power and strength. It was so much more than anything she’d ever known that tears ran down her face.
Emily collapsed against Alex’s chest. She wanted to stroke him, tell him that she didn’t know what it all meant, but glad it was done. But she didn’t have the strength.
They lay there, cocooned in each other’s heat. Alex stirred first. His hand ran down her back, rested on her hip. “You take my breath away.” His hand stilled. “Are you crying?”
Emily nodded. “I don’t know why. It’s not like it’s the first time we’ve made love. But it was different. Intense…too much of everything.”
His hand rested on her back. He held her gently against his chest. “We’re different, but the same. I never thought we’d be together again.”
She smiled. “I never thought I’d talk to you again. I’m sorry I didn’t listen.”
“Would this be today, yesterday, or two years ago?”
“Are you laughing at me?”
“I’m trying not to.”
Emily sat up. Alex winced. “Oh God, Alex. You should have reminded me about your leg.” She slipped off the couch and knelt beside him. An angry red scar ran the length of his thigh. “I didn’t know it was so bad.”
Alex closed his eyes. “It’s better than it was. I got clearance to ride again.”
She stilled. “You did?”
“A few days ago.”
Emily looked at the clothes scattered across the wooden floor. She didn’t know what she’d expected, but it had been more. More time, more commitment. More of something. The boutique was nearly finished. After that, she didn’t know where Alex would be.
She picked up her t-shirt and pulled it over her head. “Why didn’t you tell me you could ride again?”
“I’m not sure what I’m going to do.”
“We’re still months away from the finals. There must be some big rodeo event that you want to compete in?”
Alex sat up and rubbed his hand over his face. “The Livingston Roundup isn’t far away.”
“There you go, then.” Emily slapped a smile on her face. Within seconds she was on her feet, gathering her clothes and her pride in a tight ball against her chest.
“Where are you going?”
She walked toward the small bathroom, hidden behind a wall of boxes. “I need to get dressed. I’ll be…I’ll see you when I’ve finished.”
She heard Alex pull himself out of the couch. “Emily, wait…”
It was the last thing she heard before she closed the bathroom door.
***
Alex connected the last wire into the top of the chandelier. He’d need to get an electrician to sign the paperwork off, but at least Emily would get to see the antique light turned on before she left.
He’d been waiting for her to come downstairs, tell him why she’d almost run into the bathroom. The look of horror on her face when she’d seen his scar had worried him. It wasn’t pretty, but it wasn’t as bad as some of the scaring he’d seen on the circuit. Beaten up bodies were a dime a dozen. Broken hearts too.
He hadn’t made love to anyone since Emily had walked out of his life. Hadn’t looked sideways at another woman. His brother couldn’t understand why he’d been living like a monk and neither had Alex. Until today.
Feeling her wrapped around his body, finding her way into his soul, left him unsteady and raw. He was so used to being Alex Green, World Bull Riding Champion, that he’d forgotten how good it felt to be Alex Green, the man.
He stepped off the ladder, folding it on the floor beside his tools. As he walked toward the back of the boutique, he felt pride replace the worry. Everything looked right, as if the building had been waiting for them to bring it back to life. The pressed tin ceiling glowed as sunlight filtered through the stained glass windows. The walls, the floors, and the antique furniture Emily had found, all added up to the perfect remodel.
He turned the power back on and walked to the bottom of the staircase. “Emily? Are you coming downstairs?”
She didn’t reply, so he started climbing. He wanted her to be the first person to fill the gilt-framed mirror with light. To see the reflection of what they’d created and imagine how it would be when everything was finished.
Someone knocked on the front door. He looked at the first floor, then back at the entrance. The door was still locked. He could ignore it, sort out whatever was happening with Emily. Or he could open the door and delay the conversation he didn’t want to have. The person knocked again and he made up his mind.
He might be feeling overwhelmed, but he wasn’t stupid. If Emily needed more time to sort out what she was feeling, then he’d be a fool to barge in. Asking questions she didn’t want to answer would only lead to disaster, more heartache, and a reason for her to cut him out of her life.
He opened the door, not sure who would be standing on the other side. A tall, thin man stood in front of him. He didn’t look like a local. No cowboy hat in sight, not even a speck of dust on his shiny, polished shoes. “Can I help you?”
The man looked hesitant, as if he didn’t know why he was there either. “I’m looking for Emily Scotson. The owner of the café told me she bought this building. That she might be here.”
Alex planted his feet and got ready for what he thought was coming. If the man standing in front of him was Emily’s father, he wasn’t getting past him. He just hoped that Emily didn’t decide to come downstairs. “The owner of the café got it wrong. Emily’s not here.”
The man looked confused. “But
I thought I heard you call her name?”
Alex crossed his arms in front of his chest. “You heard wrong. I’d be happy to leave a message for her.”
The man looked over Alex’s shoulder, his gaze taking in the tools, crates and boxes stacked around the room. “Are you her contractor?”
A damn sight more than that, Alex thought, but he wouldn’t get into a discussion with the slime ball standing in front of him. “I own part of the building. If there’s nothing else, I’ll say goodbye.”
“Wait.” The man stepped forward, giving Alex an up close and personal view of his white business shirt. He backed off fast when Alex didn’t move.
“Emily’s my daughter. I’ve been waiting for her at the café. I just want to talk to her, tell her that I miss her and Cody.”
If Alex didn’t know the history between Emily’s father and his family, he’d swear the man was telling the truth. Maybe he was, maybe not. That wasn’t up to him to decide. Emily and Cody didn’t want their father in their lives and that was all Alex needed to remember.
“I’ll pass your message on.”
The man put his hand against the door as Alex pushed it shut. “Tell them I’ll always love them. That they mean more to me than anything in the world.”
Alex felt bad. Really bad. Emily’s father’s eyes filled with tears, tore at Alex’s heart as if it were his own dad standing there, pleading with a stranger for some time with his daughter. “I’m sorry. Emily and Cody don’t want to speak to you. Goodbye.”
Alex closed the door and this time Emily’s father didn’t try to stop him. He leaned his head against the door frame, hoping he’d done the right thing. Hoping that Emily wouldn’t hate him for shutting the door in her father’s face.
***
Emily heard Alex call her name and wondered if she’d ever be ready to face him. She was such an idiot. Jumping all over him like a sex-starved jellyfish hadn’t solved a thing. She’d thrown herself at him, practically begged him to make love to her. And he had…they had. It had been more than she’d expected. More of everything that she didn’t need.
She closed the lid on another box, pushing it against some crates. She’d found two missing boxes of shelving and re-stacked half the room, a small victory for someone who didn’t want to go downstairs. She took one last look around the room, trying to find something to keep her busy, to give her another excuse not to face Alex. She couldn’t hide any longer, but she was tempted to try.
Forever Cowboy (Montana Brides, Book 5) Page 11
