Emily sat perfectly still. “But it’s what you’ve always wanted. It’s who you are.”
Alex shook his head. “I’m more than a bull rider. Some of the guys have been on the circuit for years. They don’t know when to stop. I don’t want to be one of those guys, the ones that go down hard and never recover.”
“What would you do?”
“I’ve started breeding high-performance bulls. It’s a million dollar industry and we’ve got the right DNA to make a difference.”
“Like your dad?”
“For dad it’s a sideline business. I want it to be my focus. Mac will keep the cattle side of our ranch operating. We’ll figure everything else out between us.”
“Will you be happy doing that?”
“It’s better than being stomped on at every rodeo.”
His half-hearted attempt to make Emily smile didn’t work. She was worried about him. Worried that he’d regret leaving behind a career that had been the center of his life.
She sat down beside him. “Is it really what you want to do?”
“I’d be a bull rider for the rest of my life if I could. But I can’t. Old age and a good dose of common sense have finally kicked in. This is the next best thing. I can make a difference to the next generation of bull riders. Maybe create a stir amongst the stock contractors with a bull that outshines everyone else’s.”
Emily knew that if anyone could make a successful career from breeding bucking bulls it was Alex. She just hoped it would be enough to replace the most important thing in his life.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Alex stared at his tiny niece. She looked too small, too fragile to be passed from one person to the next. But she didn’t seem to mind. She slept through the noise, the gentle hands stroking her soft skin, and the tears that filled most of the eyes in the room.
“She’s beautiful, Gracie. What are you going to call her?”
“Jessica Rose McKenzie.”
Alex rubbed his little finger against Jessica’s palm and smiled when her tiny fingers held on tight. “She’ll make a good barrel rider. What do you think, dad?”
Jim looked up from his digital camera. “If she takes after the Green side of the family, she’ll be a pocket rocket around the arena.”
Jessica started making sucking noises, screwing her face into the cutest scowl Alex had seen. “I think she’s hungry.” He walked toward Gracie, angling Jessica so that his sister could see her baby’s face.
“She looks okay to me. What do you think, Kristina?”
Gracie’s step-mom smiled. “She’s fine, just working out how to use that mouth of hers.”
Alex went back across the room to Emily. “Do you want a hold?”
Emily stepped forward and held her hands out. “I never thought you’d ask.”
He gently held Jessica toward Emily, scared that he’d drop her. Emily slid her hands along his niece’s back, supported her head and held her close.
“She’s so tiny,” Emily said with surprise. “I’m sure she’s smaller than Christopher was.”
“Most babies are smaller than Christopher.” Nicky laughed. “And he hasn’t stopped growing.”
Emily rubbed Jessica’s cheek and smiled. Something inside Alex stuttered, then sped up, shooting through his body faster than he could breathe. “You look good holding a baby.”
He clamped his lips tight. You could have heard a pin drop, the room was so quiet. Everyone stared at him with looks that ranged from mild amusement to horror. It was plain bad luck that Emily was the one that looked as though she was going to be sick.
“I’m just saying, that’s all.” He rubbed the back of his neck, felt the heat of embarrassment snake along his skin and decided he’d better leave. “I’ll go and get the office furniture.”
Jacob moved away from the wall. For some reason, the smirk on his face irritated Alex more than usual. “I’ll come with you.”
As soon as they were out of earshot, Jacob said, “You’ll need a bucket of solvent from the hardware store as well.”
“What for?”
“To unstick the boot that’s permanently stuck in your mouth.”
“And that makes perfect sense from someone who hasn’t had a girlfriend in years.”
Jacob didn’t even bother to look insulted. “I’ve got other things keeping me busy.”
“You mean those million dollar deals I keep hearing about?”
“Could be.”
Alex wasn’t sure what his brother was hiding, but it definitely didn’t involve a woman or their family. Either of those two things would have set alarm bells off and he would have heard about it from their dad.
Subtlety had never worked with his older brother, so he got straight to the point. “Why are you in Bozeman?”
“I told you. Someone has to make sure you keep yourself out of trouble.”
“I’m not in trouble. Not the type you mean anyway.”
“When has any type of trouble not included a woman? You’re in love with Emily. Why aren’t you doing something about it?”
For the second time in as many minutes, Alex’s face flamed brighter than the setting sun.
“You mean you have done something about it?”
“Mind your own business.” Alex looked around the main reception area of the hospital. The antiseptic smell of the ward had followed them downstairs, mingling with the sick people waiting for attention, making his stomach turn into a ball of knots.
Jacob grabbed his elbow. “You’ve gone as white as a sheet. Let’s get out of here.” He pushed him toward the entrance, not letting go until they were standing outside.
“How the hell did you manage to stay in the hospital for two weeks in Vegas?”
Alex sat on the grass with his head between his knees. “Didn’t have a choice.” He concentrated on sucking as much oxygen into his lungs as he could. Thank God he hadn’t panicked when he’d been holding Jessica. Dropping his new niece wouldn’t have gone down too well with his sister. He took a few more deep breaths, clearing the last of the antiseptic out of his body.
“How do you feel now?”
Alex lifted his head. “Better. You still haven’t told me why you came home early. What’s going on?”
Jacob looked around, then sat beside Alex.
“You’ll get grass stains on your fancy suit.”
“Smart ass.” Jacob grinned. “I’m not that far gone that I’ve forgotten how to get down and dirty.”
“You’ve been here a week and all you’ve been wearing are suits. Where’s the cowboy gone?”
“He might come home quicker than you think,” Jacob muttered.
“What’s going on?”
Jacob stared across the parking lot. “You see those mountains over there?”
“Hard not to,” Alex said.
Jacob was looking toward Big Sky, the winter tourist hot spot of Montana. “I’m going to buy three thousand acres of land just west of the Big Sky Resort with three other guys.”
Alex turned toward his brother. “Are you serious?”
“When haven’t I been?”
“Oh, I don’t know. What about when you brought that blonde lawyer home? Mom and dad nearly had a heart attack when you told them you were getting married.”
“I wasn’t joking.”
“I know you weren’t. But considering she didn’t last more than a week before the engagement was over, I’d say you have an issue with knowing when other people are being serious.”
“Do you want to know about the property or not?”
Alex pulled his hat low and laughed. “Keep talking.”
“I heard through a friend that a couple of parcels of land were about to be put on the market. I’ve spent the last few weeks going over everything. I showed the other investors the land this week.”
“It must have passed the Jacob Green tests if you’re going to buy it.”
“Almost. We’ve still got to confirm a few details, but it’s looking good.”
Alex glanced at his brother. “What are you going to do with three thousand acres?”
“Divide it into smaller parcels and build luxury homes.”
“Sounds like a lot of money tied up in one investment.”
Jacob frowned. “By the time we pay all of the legal expenses, we’re looking at about eleven million dollars worth of land.”
“You’re crazy.”
“It’s a good deal. Two of the investors are ready to sign. The third is still thinking about it.”
“It’s a big risk building in the mountains. The cost of getting contractors and their supplies up there is huge. And then you’ve got the weather to consider. Power tools don’t work so well in a snowstorm.”
“No kidding, Sherlock. When have you ever been risk adverse? I thought you’d say it’s a great plan.”
Alex looked back at the mountains. They glowed with a purple fire in the evening light, casting deep shadows across the plains.
Jacob was right. He’d always thrown himself into life and thought about the consequences later. When they’d been kids, Big Sky Resort had been one of their favorite places to ski. They’d swooped down the slopes like reckless idiots, following their noses into more trouble than they knew what to do with.
As an adult, Alex had taken his brother’s advice, investing money in buildings and property that he knew next to nothing about. He didn’t consider himself a slouch when it came to managing money, but he had been reckless. If it had been Emily’s father that he’d been taking advice from he’d be bankrupt by now.
And if he really wanted to get into the deep and meaningful stuff, he’d probably say that he’d chosen bull riding as a career because it kept him overdosed on adrenaline.
“I guess I’m growing up.” He stared at Jacob’s bent head. He’d never seen his brother worried about a deal. “Have you signed anything?”
“Not yet.”
“Do you need to borrow some money?”
Jacob grinned. “Hell, no. I’ve got more money than I know what to do with.”
“What’s wrong, then?”
Jacob hesitated. “Do you ever wonder if this is it? If this is all there is to our lives?”
“What? Making bucket loads of money and watching everyone else have babies?”
Jacob snorted. “When you put it like that, it’s not so bad.”
“There’s always a silver lining. I thought you enjoyed living the high life?”
“So did I, but it’s getting old real fast.”
Alex pushed his brother’s shoulders. “So are you.”
Jacob rolled onto the ground and laughed. “It’s just as well you’re an invalid, otherwise you’d be eating dirt about now.” He sat up and flicked grass off his jacket. “Are we going to get the office furniture or not?”
Alex glanced at his watch. “Damn. We’ve got fifteen minutes to get across town before the store closes.”
Jacob hauled him to his feet and they moved fast through the parking lot. “Don’t tell dad I’m having a mid-life crisis. One of us at a time is enough to keep him busy.”
“I’ll pretend we’ve been talking about Gracie,” Alex muttered, and gave his brother another shove because he could.
***
Emily nibbled the edge of her fingernail. She looked at the phone for a few more minutes, then sat on the couch, annoyed with herself. She’d promised Cody that she wouldn’t contact their father. That she wouldn’t talk to him, or see him, or do anything that might drag him back into their lives.
But every time she thought of her father, she remembered the look on his face when he’d left the boutique. The weight she’d placed on Alex’s shoulders when he’d told her dad to leave.
She picked up a library book, flipped the pages open to her bookmark. She read the words, but they didn’t make sense. She skipped to the previous chapter, tried to figure out what she’d missed, then realized that what she missed most wasn’t in the book. What she missed most was her dad.
With a heavy heart she pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket, smoothed out the wrinkles, and stared at the number that could change her life.
She’d called her Aunt Eileen, broken rule number one in the family chain of command. If you didn’t want everyone knowing your business, you didn’t call Aunt Eileen. Her father’s sister would put her own unique spin on any story Emily could have told her, so she’d stuck with the truth. Keeping her request short and to the point had paid off. For once in her life, Aunt Eileen hadn’t asked too many questions.
For more years than she could remember her dad had been her hero. She’d made him into more than he was, maybe more than he could ever be. He’d been gone so often that she’d created the perfect father. The dad that every kid wished they could have. When reality had collided with her dreams, she’d blamed her dad. She’d forgotten that he was human. He had problems and issues that went beyond what she could understand.
And she still loved him. She wanted to keep in contact with him, make something out of what was left of their relationship.
She left her book on the sofa and went across to the phone. Before she could change her mind, she dialed his number.
The phone kept ringing. She let go of the breath she’d been holding. He wasn’t home.
“Steven Roberts, speaking. How can I help you?”
Emily nearly dropped the phone. “Umm…hi…it’s me, dad. Emily.”
He didn’t say anything. She kept waiting, nibbling on her fingernail.
“I waited for you…in the café.” His voice was soft, quiet against the noise of the television she could hear in the background.
“I wasn’t ready to talk to you.”
She heard a sigh whisper down the phone. “I’m sorry, Emmy.”
Emily swallowed the lump in her throat. “I know.”
“I spoke with Doug’s wife.” Her dad waited a heartbeat before continuing. “I’m getting help. I’m living with a family in Boise.”
“That’s good, dad. Do you need anything?”
“I’m okay. I’ve got a part-time job at the local Church.”
Emily didn’t know what to say next, didn’t know if there was anything left to say. She’d been imagining this conversation with her father for days, but it didn’t make it any easier.
“Have you opened your boutique yet?”
“Tomorrow. We’re opening it tomorrow.” Emily gripped the phone tighter. “I’ll send you some photos if you like?”
“That’d be good. I don’t have access to the Internet, but you could mail them to me.”
“I’ll do that. Aunt Eileen gave me your address. I’ve got to go now, dad. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“Oh, Emmy. I’m so sorry about the mistakes I’ve made. Will you call again?”
“Sure, dad. I’ll call you next week.” She could do this. She could build a new relationship with her father. Rebuild her trust in him before it was too late.
“I love you, Emmy.”
She sighed. “I love you too, dad.”
Then she ended the conversation, sat on the couch, and cried.
***
The doorbell rang and Emily glanced at her watch, then frowned at the front door. It was eight o’clock at night. Most of her friends would be recovering from a day with their kids or settling down for a night in front of the television.
The doorbell rung again. She pushed a tub of vanilla ice cream away and stared at the half empty container. She’d regret eating so much in the morning, but right now it left a happy sugar buzz floating around her body.
Between the phone call to her dad and a day spent cleaning and polishing the boutique, she was exhausted. She lifted the lace curtain at the side of her door and glanced outside. Alex was standing on the porch, looking worried and nervous and so darn sexy that she wondered what had been in the ice cream.
She opened the door and stared at the other reason she’d been crying. “Is everything all right?”
; “Sort of.”
“It’s not the boutique is it?”
Alex took his hat off. His eyes were as gray as a stormy winter’s night. “I want to show you something before we open tomorrow.”
Emily tried to remember if there was anything they’d forgotten to finish. Nicky, Sam, and Cody had worked with them for most of the day, doing whatever needed to be done. Jacob had arrived at lunch time with enough food to sink a battleship and her mom hadn’t been far behind.
In between dustpans and brooms, paint touch ups and shelving issues, they’d taken photos of the boutique. Photos of each other, the work they were doing, the dream Emily and Alex had created.
“Do we need to go back to the boutique now? I could meet you there at seven o’clock tomorrow morning. We don’t open until nine.”
“It can’t wait.” Alex reached around the side of the door and lifted her jacket off the coat stand. “I’ll have you back here in less than an hour. Put this on. It’s getting cold.”
“It’s the beginning of summer, not Thanksgiving.” Emily laughed at the scowl on Alex’s face. She grabbed the jacket he was holding and shoved her arms into the sleeves. “I’m only doing what you want because I need to get home fast.”
“Hot date?”
“You could say that.”
Alex looked like he almost believed her.
“With a bath. I came home and ate my way through half a tub of ice cream. I’m on a sugar high so I take no responsibility for the quality of my decision making.”
Alex looked closely at her. “Is everything okay?”
She plastered a fake smile on her face. “Of course. Couldn’t be better.” She picked up her house keys and locked the front door. “I wasn’t kidding about not getting home too late. It’s been a long few weeks.”
“You can say that again,” Alex muttered.
Emily bit down on her bottom lip. All she needed to do was burst into tears and he’d really think his business partner had gone loopy. And then she almost did cry, because she knew that’s all she’d ever be to Alex. His business partner. An ex-girlfriend turned fashion designer who liked bright colors and too much ice cream.
“You’ve gone green,” Alex said. “If you’re going to be sick I’d appreciate you throwing up outside my truck.”
Forever Cowboy (Montana Brides, Book 5) Page 17
