Will, sitting beside Charlotte, leaned in and said something to her. She blushed, tossed her head back and laughed.
Nate smiled. Good for Will. “They look cozy.”
“They do.” Amber grinned but the warning note in her tone didn’t escape his attention.
“What?” Nate raised an eyebrow. “I’m happy for him.”
So long as he kept his tail away from Amber.
There was a flurry of movement at the edge of the dance floor just as Exie squeezed between two dancing couples, then rushed over, waving several items in the air above her head.
“Told you I’d be back,” she said, grinning. “And I brought costumes.”
Nate stifled a groan and glanced at Landon. He didn’t look enthused, either.
“Amber, I can’t believe you let these two leave home without dressing up.” Exie smirked. “Luckily, I was able to pull a few pieces together.”
Amber smiled. “How?”
“I stole them.” She laughed and held up a black headband with red devil horns. “This is for Landon.” Grinning, she rose to her tiptoes and set it on his head. “Because he’s a sexy devil.”
Landon released a heavy sigh, then took another swig of punch.
Nate choked back a laugh.
“And these are for Nate.” Exie draped a backpack over his shoulder, placed a baseball cap on his head, then shoved a flashlight in his hand.
Landon’s mouth quirked as he looked Nate over. “Who’s he supposed to be?”
“Backpack, baseball cap and flashlight? Come on, Landon,” she prompted. When he didn’t answer, she sighed. “A tourist! They’re camping all over Elk Valley this time of year. And the way Nate usually breezes in and out, he fits the bill.” She smiled at Amber, her voice lowering. “Kinda like that guy you hooked up with, huh, Amber? Hot, wild and allergic to commitment?” She turned back to Landon. “Nate and that tourist have a lot in common.”
Nate froze.
The smile on Landon’s face melted away as he stared.
Amber’s face flushed. “I don’t want to discuss that, Ex—”
“Oh, come on,” Exie said. “You’re in friendly company. Besides, I heard at the fall festival that you and Nate are dating so...” Her eyes widened, moving from Amber to Nate then back. “Hold up. How long have y’all been dating on the down low? Because the way Mrs. Darlene tells it, you were trying to keep the fact that you’re dating him—” Exie pointed at Nate “—as much a secret as that tourist of yours.”
Amber glanced at him, her mouth opening and closing silently.
“That’s enough, Exie,” Bobbie Jean said. “You’re being rude.”
“And Mrs. Darlene said,” Exie continued, ignoring Bobbie Jean, “Nate sure is spending a lot of time with your kids. Said he took to them right away. I saw for myself how taken he was with those babies when he brought them to my pumpkin patch at the festival.” Her mouth rounded as she inhaled. “Oh, boy. He really does fit the bill.” She tapped Landon’s arm and whispered, “Have you been holding out on me? Is Nate those babies’ da—”
“Hush up, Exie.” Bobbie Jean, face red, grabbed her elbow and tugged. “Let’s go see if they’ve picked a winner yet.”
“But I was—”
“Now.” Bobbie Jean pushed Exie toward the stage, squeezing Amber’s hand as she left.
Gut churning, Nate shifted from one foot to the other, then met Landon’s eyes. They darkened, the blue depths filling with anger.
Ah, hell. Not here. And not now.
Landon flinched, then slowly turned. “Amber?”
She stood stock-still, hands clenched in front of her.
Landon’s face paled. He removed the devil horns, placed them on the reception table with his cup, then asked, voice strained, “Does Nate fit the bill?”
“It’s just a stupid costume,” she said, jerking into action and tugging the backpack from Nate’s shoulders, then tossing it on the floor. “And not even a good one at that.” Her arms shook. “Take the hat off, Nate.”
He did, tossing it and the flashlight on the table. “Landon—”
“I’m not asking you,” he bit out. “I’m asking Amber.” His chest rose with his rapid breaths. “Does he. Fit. The bill?”
“If you want to talk, you talk to me.” Nate straightened to his full height and spread his hands, striving for a calm tone. “You have every right to be pissed and I’ll answer any questions you’ve got. We’ll go outside and discuss it.”
“Outside?” Landon shook his head slowly, mouth twisting. “We already did that, didn’t we? And I trusted you. I accepted every damned lie you handed me.” A laugh burst from his lips, short and humorless. “You said—” He drew his head back, his throat moving on a hard swallow. “You said you loved them like they were your own.”
Nate winced, heat flooding his face. “I do love them.”
“Please, Landon.” Amber moved closer and touched his arm. “It’s not his fault.”
“How could it not be?” He jerked his chin at Nate, hands balling into fists at his sides. “They’re his, aren’t they?”
A mic squealed and the music stopped. The crowd’s chatter and laughter lowered to a quiet hum as an announcement was made.
“Hate to interrupt the fun, but the results for the Tenleys’ annual Halloween Costume Contest are in.”
Nate pried his attention away from Landon and glanced at the stage. Darlene, smiling, stood at the mic with Charlotte and Will by her side. A large screen, projecting a colorful montage of pumpkins, skeletons and bats was above them.
“We had a lot of fantastic entries this year,” Darlene continued, “but one stood out above the rest.”
Nate cut his eyes to the left of the stage where Mac stood by the large sheet covering the pumpkins he’d carved for the proposal yesterday. Mac reached beneath the sheet, preparing to light them.
Nate clamped a hand to his pocket, his fingers clenching over the jeweler’s box. The edges dug into his palm as he studied Amber, her panicked eyes and pale face making his gut churn.
Oh, God. This was not how this was supposed to go.
“You left her.”
Nate stiffened. Landon’s words were directed at him but Landon faced the stage, his eyes fixed on the screen.
“The winner, or should I say, winners, are...” Darlene smiled, then said, “Amber, Savannah, Dylan and Mason Eason. Congratulations to the Easons!”
The image on the screen flashed and a portrait of Amber and the babies appeared. She sat, legs crossed, on a red blanket, holding all three babies on her lap. She and the babies were smiling, her blond hair cascading over her shoulders and their bear ears flopping forward at different angles.
“You left all of them.”
A spotlight swept the dance floor, jerked awkwardly for a moment, then settled on all three of them.
“Come on up here and collect your prize, Amber,” Darlene called over applause.
Amber threw a hand up to shield her eyes, then looked helplessly at Nate.
Regret flooded him, weighing him to the floor.
Landon clenched his jaw and shifted his stance. “You sonuvabitch.”
Nate had a split second to brace himself before Landon’s fist slammed into his jaw.
* * *
“Landon, no!”
Amber’s stomach heaved as Nate stumbled back from the blow and rubbed his jaw. A collective gasp rose from the crowd, then silence ensued.
Nate shook his head, then said quietly, “I’m gonna give you that one because I deserved it.” His hands flexed at his sides. “But you don’t get another.”
“The hell I don’t.” Landon stalked toward him.
“Landon, stop it.” Amber lunged forward, grabbed his arm and yanked. He pulled against her, straining toward Nate and as unstoppable as a stubborn
bull. She gripped him tighter. “Please don’t.”
A loud crash erupted behind her. Mac scrambled over a toppled table, untangling one of his legs from a sheet and tripping over pumpkins as they fell to the floor. He broke free, then rushed by her, stepped in front of Landon and pressed a hand against his chest.
Landon’s arm stiffened within her grip. “Get out of my way, Mac.”
“I’m sorry, I can’t do that.” He shook his head. “He’s my brother.”
“And she’s my sister,” Landon growled. “You don’t know what he did.”
Mac glanced over his shoulder at Nate. “He made a mistake, but he’s making up for it now.”
“Oh, so you do know, huh?” Landon turned, his eyes flashing down at Amber. “Am I the only one who didn’t?”
“I’m sorry, Landon,” she whispered. “This is my fault. I was afraid to tell you.”
“You were afraid? Or was he?” Landon jerked back around, staring at Nate. “’Cause I bet good money he’s the one who was afraid. He was afraid I’d drag his ass back here and make him man up. Afraid someone would force him to own up to his responsibilities instead of abandoning them.” He scoffed and spun back to Mac. “He didn’t have any qualms about walking out on you, either, did he, Mac? All that time, when you were scraping and scrounging to keep this ranch going, he was touring the circuit, riding bulls and partying. Never giving a thought to you or Amber.” His voice hardened. “Or his kids.”
“That’s not true.” Nate shook his head. “I screwed up on both counts. I admit that. But I’m here now. I’m going to marry Amber and be a good father to our kids.” His voice firmed. “I’m doing the right thing, I swear.”
Amber froze, a hollow feeling forming inside her.
“Bullshit.” Landon clenched his fists. “Everything you’re doing now is just due restitution. Things you should’ve done years ago for Mac and what you should’ve been doing for Amber and your kids all this time.” He shoved toward him. “Where were you when Amber needed you? When she was pregnant and alone? When she was running on two hours’ worth of sleep, caring for your three kids and managing a full-time business?” His voice turned hoarse. “All this time, I honestly thought you’d changed. That you’d decided to come home for good and happened to fall in love with Amber along the way. When in actuality, you just finally decided to clean up the mess you made.”
Amber closed her eyes, pain overwhelming her. Landon was wrong. In more ways than he knew. In ways she could no longer put off acknowledging.
“Nate didn’t know,” she said softly. “I never told him. He didn’t know he was a father until he came home a few weeks ago.” She looked up, focusing on Landon’s face. “He came back because he got hurt on the circuit and couldn’t compete. That was the reason why. If that hadn’t happened, he wouldn’t have come back for any of us. Not for you. Not for Mac. And not for me.”
Nate flinched, the regretful shadows in his eyes making her heart ache.
“But do you know why he stayed?” Mouth trembling, she smiled at Mac. “He stayed because he knew his brother and sister-in-law had twin babies on the way and could use the extra help.” She turned to Landon. “He stayed because he didn’t want to let his best friend down and wanted to do the right thing so he could be proud of him.” She faced Nate then, full of admiration even as her heart broke. “And he stayed because he fell in love with his sons and daughter and couldn’t imagine a future without them.”
Nate stilled and held her gaze.
“He stayed because he is, and always has been, a decent man who’s honest and loyal. Who carries past wrongs with him and wants to make them right. So much so, that he tried to talk me into telling the truth on several occasions. But I didn’t want to say it out loud because I was afraid to face the fact that I wasn’t the reason he returned. Or the reason he decided to stay.” A tear tickled her cheek and she wiped it away. “So I’m saying it now.” A humorless laugh escaped her as she gestured toward the interested stares of those around them. “At as fine a time as any I guess because apparently, we’re everybody’s business.” She sobered. “I want him to know that he’s welcome here. That I’m grateful he’s in our children’s lives because he’s a great father and will be an even greater one over time. But he doesn’t owe me anything.” She looked at Landon. “No matter what anyone says. Because I’m not and never will be any man’s obligation or regret. I’m worth more than that.”
Nate moved toward her, hand outstretched and expression pained. “Amber...”
Her eyes burned. She stepped back, dug deep for a sympathetic smile and whispered, “This isn’t a package deal, Nate.”
The heat from the spotlight grew hotter. The silence and stares became too intense. Amber spun on her heel, edged through the onlookers and walked to the door.
A hand slipped over hers and squeezed as someone walked in step beside her. Bobbie Jean smiled at her, tears in her eyes as they stepped outside.
“Did I make a big enough fool of myself?” Amber asked, her voice catching on a sob.
“No,” Bobbie Jean said softly. “Exie won that award.”
“I won’t argue with you on that one.”
They walked up the path toward the lodge. Amber stopped when they reached the front steps.
“I’ve had enough of men tonight,” she said, wiping away the last of her tears. “I’m going to get the babies and head home. Why don’t you go back to the party?”
“You want some company?” Bobbie Jean asked. “I could help you get them to bed.”
“Thanks, Bobbie Jean, but you deserve at least one night off and I could use some time alone.” She smiled and hugged her. “Go enjoy yourself.”
Bobbie Jean hesitated. “If you’re sure...”
Amber nodded. “I’m sure. I’ll be fine.”
After Bobbie Jean left, Amber made her way inside to the kids’ party. She collected the babies, loaded them into the SUV, then glanced in the rearview mirror. Savannah and Dylan slept, and Mason smiled, rubbing the soft fur on the belly of his costume.
“One Goldilocks and three bears,” Amber whispered, blinking against the fresh tears brimming in her eyes. “And we’re going to be just fine.”
Chapter 11
Mar me?
Nate grunted, rocked back in his chair and rubbed his forehead. The smashed remnants of his pumpkin proposal from a week ago looked even worse. Lined up along the top rail of Elk Valley Ranch’s front deck, the pumpkins that hadn’t been crushed had turned brown and the letter on each had started to sag. The two that had been accidentally crushed under Mac’s boots were flat, moldy and unrecognizable. They all looked especially haggard under the muted glow of the porch light.
It was a sorry sight. But not half as sorry as Nate felt.
“If you don’t throw those out soon, you’re gonna run off every potential guest in a ten-mile radius.” Mac stepped onto the deck. “I take it Amber still hasn’t called?”
Nate shook his head. “I haven’t spoken to her in three days. And I won’t see her again until tomorrow when I pick the kids up for the weekend.”
He hadn’t seen Savannah, Mason and Dylan since last Sunday when he’d called and arranged to pick them up for the day. Amber had been polite—overly accommodating, even. She’d offered to have them ready at whatever time he specified, packed a bag with toys and supplies and helped settle them in the new car seats he’d purchased for the backseat of his truck. Then agreed to let Bobbie Jean know he’d pick them up the following Friday so he could have them for the entire weekend.
It had all been civilized and cordial in the extreme. And enough to make him want to pull his hair out.
“I’ve told her I love her and apologized more times than I can count.” Nate dragged his hand over his face. “I just don’t know what else it’ll take.”
“Just give it some time. She’ll come around.�
� Mac walked over to the porch rail and thumped the worst of the pumpkins. “You think we can chuck these, though? I feel bad for stomping on ’em every time I see ’em. And it’s not doing you any good to sit out here in front of them every night, wallowing in your misery.”
Nate dropped his head back and frowned at the starry night sky. He supposed he’d spent too many hours out here after work each night sifting through his thoughts and trying to rack his brain for a way to get through to Amber.
But hell, he missed her. Missed his kids.
“Yeah,” he said. “I’ll haul ’em out to the field in a few minutes. Right now, though, I prefer to wallow some more.”
The sound of an engine rumbled up the driveway and Mac nudged his shoulder. “Well, you better hurry that wallowing up because it looks like you’re about to have company.”
Nate’s gut dropped at the sight of Landon’s truck rolling to a stop in front of the lodge. He hadn’t laid eyes on Landon since the Halloween bash. After Amber had left that night, Landon had turned bright red, muttered a string of curses, then left himself, not sparing Nate or Mac a second glance.
“Think he’s coming for round two?” Mac’s mouth twitched.
“Oh, this is fun for you, is it?” Nate grumbled.
“Hell, no. There was nothing fun about busting my ass in front of half the town and total strangers from five states around to break up a fight.” Mac smiled. “Though, I got to admit, it’s been a while since Elk Valley’s had a good old-fashioned brawl, and that altercation generated a great deal of buzz this week. Enough that I think next year’s party will be twice as big.”
The slam of a truck door echoed across the empty grounds and Landon’s brawny frame emerged from the darkness, climbing the stairs, then stopping on the top step. He looked tired. Dark circles were underneath his eyes and his face was unshaven.
“Evening, Landon,” Mac said, extending his hand.
Landon shook it, his face reddening. “Mac.” He dragged a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry about the other night, man. I was way out of line.”
Home on the Ranch: Tennessee Bull Rider Page 16
