She frowned as she moved toward the stairs. Two voices drifted through the building and one sounded like her father. He couldn’t be here. He didn’t know about the boutique, couldn’t have guessed that she’d finally been able to make her dreams a reality.
She moved more slowly, edging closer to the railing. Alex was telling her dad that she wasn’t here, so she stepped back and sat on the wooden floor. As she listened to her dad, her heart broke all over again. She knew that this would probably be the last time she’d see him, the last time she’d hear his voice.
She crept closer to the edge of the landing. She smiled a little when she saw her dad’s polished shoes. He never went anywhere without his shoes sparkling and a ready smile for his next client. Except there wasn’t a smile on his face today. He looked close to tears.
After a few more softly spoken words he left as quietly as he’d arrived. Emily didn’t hear the door close, but she did see Alex, leaning against the door frame. He carried the weight of the loss of her father as heavily on his shoulders as it fell on hers.
She closed her eyes and said goodbye.
“Emily?”
She wiped her face and stared at Alex.
“Are you okay?” He moved cautiously toward her, stopping a few steps below where she was sitting.
She wasn’t okay, and she doubted she ever would be. Her dad was gone and Alex wouldn’t be far behind him.
“Did you mind that I told your dad you weren’t here?”
She shook her head and took a deep breath. “You treated him with respect, which was more than Cody would have done. Thank you.” Emily stood up. There was no point feeling sorry for herself. She had many things to be grateful for, friends and family that meant the world to her. Her dad loved her in his own way and that would have to be enough. She couldn’t do anything about Alex. What he did with his life was his concern. She knew that bull riding was as important to him as breathing. She’d known that before she’d thrown herself at him, so it shouldn’t make any difference now.
Except she hadn’t spent much time thinking. It had been all about feeling and touching and wanting. “I’ll see you later. I’ve got some work to do before I go to Nicky’s to look at the photos Molly took.”
Alex held out his hand. “Come downstairs. I’ve got something I want to show you.”
She looked at his hand, then up at his face.
“Come on…I won’t bite.”
She half-wished he did. Then she wouldn’t be standing on the staircase, having an awkward conversation with him. She would have left a long time ago, backing out of the room as soon as he mentioned gobbling her up.
Alex reached for her hand and pulled her down the stairs behind him. The difference in the building was so remarkable that for a moment, Emily forgot about his hand wrapped around hers. Forgot about the questions she wanted to ask, the apology she needed to make.
“What do you think?”
He pointed to the chandelier hanging in front of the mirror. Light bounced off the tiny crystals, cascading like glittering waterfalls between antique gold arms. It was opulent, sophisticated and romantic. It was perfect.
She let go of Alex’s hand and moved closer, standing under the chandelier, then beside it, gazing at the light reflecting off the mirror, off the walls. “It’s beautiful.”
“Once the other mirrors and the matching chandeliers are installed we can start moving the rest of your things down here.”
Emily didn’t ask how their schedule to opening day was going. She wouldn’t like the answer.
“Do you want to talk about what happened…upstairs?”
With his hands crossed in front of his chest and a scowl plastered across his face, anyone that didn’t know Alex would think he was annoyed. But he had a way about him that made Emily aware of him as a man. A man who enjoyed talking about his feeling almost as much as she did. Which wasn’t much at all.
“I’m fine. It’s no big deal. We’re adults. This sort of thing happens all the time.”
Alex’s face turned a tortured shade of red. “It does?”
He looked as though he was about to blow a gasket or have a heart attack. Either way it was time for Emily to leave. The fact that Alex Green was standing between her and the front door wasn’t comforting.
“Of course it does.” She inched closer to the sales desk. “We got carried away, that’s all. By tomorrow morning, it will all be a distant memory.” Okay, so now she was babbling, going poetic in all the wrong places.
“How often does it happen?”
Her foot touched the edge of a Persian rug that her mom had brought into the boutique. “I don’t know.” She shrugged her shoulders and took another step toward the door. “But from what I’ve seen at Joe’s Bar and Grill, there’s a whole lot of lovin’ going on in Bozeman.”
Alex scratched his head and frowned. “You mean for everyone else?”
“Of course I mean for…” For the first time, he looked genuinely worried. Then she realized where his not so subtle questioning was going. Of all the two-timing, arrogant, pain in the ass men to ever walk the planet. Alex Green had just put a nail in his own coffin.
Emily marched to the front door and threw it open. “For your information, I’m more discerning than most in my choice of men. I don’t go around having sex with everyone I meet.” She turned on her heel, slammed into a wall of cotton and bounced backward.
“Glad to hear it.”
Crystal green eyes stared down at her. “Jacob? What are you doing here?”
“Checking up on my little brother. Sounds like he needs it.”
“Alex doesn’t need anyone. I’ve got to go.” Before Jacob could blink, Emily scooted around him and headed down Main Street, away from Alex and away from a lumpy brown couch.
CHAPTER NINE
“What was all that about?” Jacob cocked his head to the side, staring at Alex like he was a giant bug under a microscope.
“There are some things you don’t want to know, and this is one of them. I thought you weren’t coming home for another couple of weeks?”
“Plans changed.” Jacob moved inside the boutique. “Nice work. Who chose the colors?”
“Emily.”
“Figures.” He ran his hand along the top of the sales desk. “Dad called me the other day. He’s worried about you.”
“Dad worries about everyone.” Alex opened the last box on the desk and pulled out another set of shelves. “Did he tell you we’ve nearly finished the boutique?”
“Nope. He told me you’ve been prancing around half naked in front of a pretty photographer from Ireland.”
The screwdriver in Alex’s hand dropped on the desk. “How the heck did dad find out?” He rubbed his hand across the wood, more concerned about denting Emily’s sales desk than the scowl on his brother’s face.
“The Irish photographer wasn’t the only one with a camera. Mac took a photo and posted it on Facebook.”
“Shit.” He hadn’t told anyone about Molly’s extra photographic assignment. They’d driven across the ranch, going to out of the way places where no one would see them. Except Mac and his damn cell phone. He took photos of everything; cattle, fence posts, birds, and cowboys who should know better.
“What I can’t work out is why you’re cavorting with another woman when you’re still sweet on Emily.”
Alex bit his tongue in case he showed his brother just how sweet he could be. “I wasn’t cavorting with anyone. We were working.”
Jacob snorted. “Call it what you want. If Emily finds out, she won’t be happy. It took two years to get her to speak to you again, and even then you had to twist her arm to get her in the same room as you.” He pulled a fancy phone out of his hip pocket and shoved it under Alex’s nose. “Does this look like work to you?”
Alex stared at the photo. Mac wouldn’t live long enough to post another image anywhere. He’d caught Molly and Alex behind the barn in the last rays of the warm Montana evening. Molly was leanin
g forward, holding the edge of Alex’s shirt like she was about to pop every snap open. Which she had. Two at a time.
She’d run between Alex and her tripod, catching the sunset as it warmed his skin to a rich golden brown. And now he was worried. More worried than he’d ever been. “Can Mac take the photo off his Facebook page?”
“He could try, but it won’t do much good. Half the town’s probably seen it by now.”
“Shit.”
“So you’ve said. Pity you didn’t think about that before the photographer undressed you. Who is she?”
Alex grabbed his jacket and pulled his cell phone out of the pocket. “Molly O’Donaghue.” He punched in Macs number and waited. He waited some more before the voice mail kicked in. “It’s Alex,” he barked. “Call me.”
He moved around the boutique, switching off lights in double quick time.
“Where are you going?” Jacob asked.
“To find Emily. I’ve got to explain.”
Jacob followed Alex out the door. “I’m coming with you. It’s about time I saw you grovel.”
“Like hell,” Alex muttered. “Haven’t you got something better to do?”
“Not yet. You’re enough entertainment for one day.”
Jacob might think it was funny, but Emily wouldn’t be laughing if she saw the photo. He had a really good explanation for what they’d been doing. But then he always had, and that was the problem.
***
Emily walked into the Bozeman Public Library. The knot in her stomach unraveled, leaving an empty hole that made her feel sick. She’d come here because she needed to. She loved libraries. Loved the happy buzz that filled the air, the friendly smiles of the staff and the people that wandered the book shelves. The way she could forget about what was happening and simply enjoy the moment.
She passed the Learning Center. Darren, the digital librarian, waved from behind a 3D printer and Emily waved back. She kept walking, heading to her favorite seat overlooking the bridge to Lindley Park. She needed to think about what she was going to do, about her dad, Alex, and the not so brilliant idea to sleep with him.
She picked up a magazine to hide behind, turned left and stopped. Someone was sitting in her seat. She looked around trying to figure out where she could go.
“You look lost.”
Darren smiled at her and the hole eating away inside of her got a little smaller. “Distracted more than lost. Someone’s sitting in my seat.”
“Sounds like a case of Goldilockitis. I’ve got a papa bear chair over there that might do the trick.” He pointed across the room to a big comfy armchair. “But you’d better be quick. Frank Sinatra loves crooning to our elderly customers at about this time of the day and the chairs get filled pretty fast.”
“Frank Sinatra? Are you kidding me?”
Darren’s brown eyes twinkled. “Don’t tell anyone I told you this,” he whispered, “but Frank’s brother is Jake Stanley. You know Jake - he owns the hardware store on the other side of town.”
Emily nodded and sure enough, a steady stream of older ladies seemed to be moving toward them.
“Anyway,” Darren continued, “Frank moved to Bozeman a few months ago and on Thursday’s his alter ego comes out to play. The ladies love him.”
From the number of four-wheel walkers making their way across the library, Emily believed him. “He sings?”
“And dances.” Darren nodded at the chair. “You’ve missed out. Jessie’s sitting in the chair. I think she’s got a soft spot for Frank, but given that he’s her best friend’s brother-in-law, things have gotten complicated.”
A bubble of laughter filled all of Emily’s lonely places. “And how do you know this, or shouldn’t I ask?”
“I’d have to self-destruct if I told you where my information came from. But you didn’t come here to see Frank. What can I help you with?”
“I’m okay. I just need to work a few things out.”
“And I’m taking up your time.”
“I don’t mind.” Emily smiled. “But I’d better leave you to Frank’s fans. It looks as though you might need to move into crowd control.”
In the space of a few short minutes, the area in front of them had filled with every walker, wheelchair, and crutch known to mankind. The average age of the men and women waiting for Frank would have been seventy-five. A very fit and fantastic seventy-five, apart from wobbly knees and unstable hips.
Emily looked at the row of computers on the far wall. “I’ll check my emails before I drive to my sister’s ranch.”
“You do that,” Darren said. “I’d better go and get a few more chairs. Frank’s got a sell-out audience today.”
With a quick smile, Darren was off. Emily watched him move between Frank’s fans, laughing and joking and making everyone feel welcome. Why she couldn’t find someone as sweet and uncomplicated as Darren was beyond her.
A long time ago she’d fallen for a man who rode bulls, lived out of a suitcase and always had at least one female attached to his denim clad body. And she’d done it again. With the same man. The one that would break her heart all over again.
Emily found an empty chair and sat in front of a computer.
“The network’s down.”
The lady on her left sighed and Emily had to hold back a smile. Doris Stanley, of Frank Sinatra’s sister-in-law fame, sat beside Emily, her knitting needles clickety-clacking in front of her.
Doris tugged on a ball of yarn sitting inside a bag at her feet. “Darren said someone from upstairs is fixing the problem. Darn fool things, these computers. I love them when they’re working and wonder about the foolishness of them when they don’t. How’s the remodel going?”
“The building looks great. Jake mixed the most amazing color for the downstairs walls.”
Doris nodded and flipped her knitting over, working her way along another row of stitches. “He wasn’t sure how it would turn out. No one’s ever painted so many walls in such a bright color. Must have something to do with that red hair of yours. You always did have an eye for what worked. When are you planning on opening the boutique?”
“I’m not sure. Soon.” Emily jumped when the computer restarted. Every screen in the row flashed the same start-up image.
Doris packed away her knitting and rubbed her hands together. She noticed Emily watching her and grimaced. “Arthritis. Makes my finger joints as stiff as ironing boards some days. Did you see the photo of Alex Green on Mac’s Facebook page? One day that boy’s going to get himself into so much hot water that he’ll boil himself alive. It must be interesting working with a man like that?”
Emily typed in her library card number and password.
“You can tell me about Alex later. I’m sending you a friend request,” Doris boasted with a note of pride in her voice. “Erin showed me how at our last social media class. It’s not all that difficult when you know what you’re doing. Then all you need to do is confirm me as a friend and I’ll send you the photo.”
Emily wasn’t sure she wanted to be Doris’ Facebook friend. For as long as she could remember, her husband’s hardware store had been at the center of gossip in Bozeman. There didn’t seem to be a scrap of information that didn’t pass through the big wooden doors at one time or another. With Doris’ new found social media expertise, that gossip had gone online, whisking around the world faster than a bolt of lightning.
Doris tapped away on her keyboard, then turned her screen toward Emily. “We don’t need Facebook. Alex and his mystery lady made the pages of the Bozeman Chronicle.”
Emily didn’t want to look. The mystery lady wouldn’t be her, or Doris would have asked what was going on. The sick feeling in her stomach got a whole lot worse.
“He looks mighty comfortable with her. Jake thought it could be Becky’s sister. What do you think?”
Emily stared at her computer, trying to block Doris’ screen out of her line of vision. But it didn’t work. Curiosity got the better of her. So she looked. Then look
ed again. The photo was grainy, as if the photographer had taken it from a distance. But the blurry image didn’t hide what was happening.
Molly was holding Alex’s half-open shirt, looking for all the world like she was about to rip the whole thing off his body. A body that by anyone’s standards was a sight to behold. Rippling muscles and the outline of his gold buckle tattoo leaped off the screen, a poisoned arrow aimed straight for her heart.
Emily swallowed and hit the end session button on her keyboard. “I don’t know who it is, Doris. I’ve got to go. Bye.” She pushed her chair out and left the library as fast as she could go.
***
Alex heard a truck come to a standstill outside Nicky’s home. He glanced at Jacob, hoping his brother hadn’t noticed. Hoping he wouldn’t say anything about the photo that was about to cause major fireworks over Montana.
Jacob stared back at him with the quiet, reserved face that he used on everyone except family. A door slammed. Jacob raised his eyebrows, something close to compassion in his eyes. Or maybe that was his brother’s sick sense of humor kicking in.
“That might be Emily,” Nicky said. Christopher fell onto his diaper-clad bottom. “Do you want to see Auntie Em, Christopher?” He threw his arms in the air, grinning with his one tooth smile. “Come on then, little man.”
Nicky walked across to the front door with her son in her arms. She disappeared onto the porch and Alex started sweating. If Emily hadn’t seen the photo, then he might be okay. He could explain, tell her why Molly was undressing him behind his barn. God, even he knew he sounded lame, like a man who knew he was on the losing end of something bigger than life itself.
If Emily had seen Mac’s photo, then he was in trouble. More trouble than he’d ever been in. She’d think history had repeated itself. That he was nothing but a two timing bastard who’d used her. Again.
Forever Cowboy (Montana Brides, Book 5) Page 12
