Montana Dreaming

by Judy Duarte

  “Why do you care if I go home?” she asked, looking perplexed.

  “Because I’m learning how important family is, how important bonds are. You don’t break them if you can help it. And if you do and you have a chance to fix them, it’s important that you try.”

  Three hours later, taking the red-eye back to Chicago, Brad thought about his words to Annie. He thought about them as he let himself into his penthouse and felt the emptiness there. Making strong coffee, he didn’t even try to get any sleep. There was something he had to do…something he should have done years before.

  It was nine-thirty in the morning when he greeted the doorman at his mother’s apartment building. After he took the elevator up to her apartment, he rang the bell.

  Connie Vaughn was an attractive woman in her early sixties. Her gray hair was silvery and she wore it in a pageboy, as she’d done for years. Today she was dressed in a taupe sweater and slacks and looked more than a little surprised to see him.

  “Did I forget a breakfast date?” she asked.

  They were long past due for dinner or breakfast or…something. That was his fault. “No, you didn’t forget. I need to talk to you. Do you have time?”

  Her eyes became worried now. “I always have time for you.”

  Looking back, he knew that was true.

  Going into the elegantly furnished living room, he took a seat on the sofa.

  She sat across from him in an upholstered chair and asked, “New look?”

  He’d showered and changed but hadn’t bothered to shave. “No. I just didn’t take the time for the whole works.”

  “What was so urgent?”

  Now that he was here, he didn’t quite know how to put it into words. “I’ve met someone.”

  His mother smiled. “Is that good or bad?”

  “I’m still trying to figure that out. She’s different.”

  “Different in a general sense or different from the women you usually date?”

  Connie Vaughn had hit the bull’s-eye. “Different from women I usually date. She was my secretary.”

  He didn’t see the disapproval he thought he might as his mother asked, “Was?”

  “It’s a complicated story. We were in Montana together the last few weeks on a case. She resigned when we came back.”

  “If she was your secretary, then she doesn’t have money.”

  “No, she doesn’t. Money’s not important to Emily.”

  “You’re sure of that?”

  “I’m positive. She’s put her own life on hold so she could help her sisters through school.”

  “It sounds as if she needs money.”

  “No. I mean, I offered to pay for Emily’s own college courses and she wouldn’t accept it. She has a lot of pride and self-respect and insists on making her own way. She never coats the truth in pretty words, and I can usually tell what she’s feeling,” he went on, remembering every detail of their time together.

  “Usually?”

  “Right now—” Frustrated, he raked his hand through his hair. “I cut things off between us because I didn’t think I wanted a wife and a family. Or maybe I just never thought I’d be successful at it and I don’t attempt anything I can’t succeed at. Now I need some answers. I realize that what happened between you and Dad colored my view of women and marriage and whether or not two people can share a life.”

  “What answers do you need?” his mother inquired softly.

  “Why did you have an affair?”

  When Connie stood, she went to the window to look down over the city. “I wish I could give you a simple answer, but there isn’t one. There is an easy answer, though. Your father didn’t give me what I needed.”

  Now she turned to face Brad. “I know that must sound ridiculous when we had everything money could buy. But I needed the intangible things that maybe women need more than men.”

  “Such as?”

  “Time…attention…affection.”

  “But you were married!”

  She laughed. “Oh, yes. My family had a hand in that. I’d just graduated from college when Phillip’s family invited me to come stay with them for a weekend. My father and his father had been old college buddies.”

  “The marriage was arranged?”

  “No, not in any old-world sense. Let’s just say we both came highly recommended. At first I was fascinated by your father. He was so intelligent, so sophisticated, five years older than me and worldly. He intrigued me, and I mistook his ambition and drive to succeed for passion.”

  Not knowing if he wanted to set foot in that arena, Brad decided he needed to have answers. “I don’t understand.”

  “I thought the intensity in Phillip’s nature meant he could love deeply, that when he turned his energy on a relationship, it would be everything we both could want.”

  “But he didn’t do that?”

  His mother slipped her hands into her slacks pockets. “Your father could build an empire if he wanted to, but he couldn’t talk to me. I fell in love with him. I thought if we got married and had a family we’d find what we needed together. That didn’t happen. The more he worked, the more distant he became. That distance turned to coldness. He didn’t know how to show affection and didn’t want to learn. He wouldn’t even consider counseling. So our marriage limped along until one day I met someone who looked into my eyes when he talked to me. He put his hand on my shoulder when I needed one there. He listened in a way I’d never been listened to before. I had been drowning emotionally and he saved me. So we had an affair.”

  “And Dad found out?”

  “Yes. One afternoon we weren’t careful and had lunch in a popular restaurant. One of your father’s associates saw us. I don’t know. Maybe I wanted him to find out. Maybe I wanted to push myself into making some kind of decision, and that’s what happened.”

  As Brad honestly thought about his dad, he knew his father could be cold and distant. He’d just never pictured how that would play out in a marriage. He’d blamed his mother all these years for her lack of morals, for her infidelity to her vows. Yet hadn’t his father broken their vows before she had by his attitude, by his neglect of her?

  “Men-and-women relationships are complicated, Brad. They’re never exactly what they seem on the outside,” she counseled him.

  “After you and Dad divorced, did you see the man you had the affair with?”

  “No.”

  “Why not?”

  Now she sat on the sofa again and folded her hands in her lap. “Because of you. I knew what you thought of me. I knew you believed I’d destroyed our family. At first you were resentful and defiant and sullen. I couldn’t get a smile out of you for months. Do you honestly think I would have taken a chance on losing you altogether by dating and maybe marrying this man?”

  Never before had Brad realized what his mother had sacrificed for him. He thought about Emily and what she’d sacrificed for her sisters. Was that kind of selflessness in women’s natures?

  Not all women. Just the special ones.

  “What about now? Why haven’t you ever gotten married?”

  “Cowardice, I guess. And I’ve become set in my ways.” She studied him for a few moments. “But I know you have more courage than I do. I also know you’ve dated a lot of wrong women, and maybe that’s why you’ve never asked me these questions before.”

  “Emily makes me think and question. She makes me laugh. She frustrates me, yet she leads me to see life in a different way. And…I love her. I do love her.” He could admit that now.

  “Did you say she resigned?”

  “Yes, and she’s hurt because I cut her out of my life. She has no reason to ever want to speak to me again.”

  “But you’re going to find a reason.”

  Ever since he’d read Emily’s resignation letter, he’d felt as if he had a lead weight in his chest. Now he felt lighter.

  “Yes. I’m going to find that reason.”

  On Sunday afternoon, Emily was looking at
the pictures she’d shot in Montana and the want ads lying beside her on the sofa. She had three interviews set up for Friday. She had intended to look through the paper, circling more possibilities. But she’d picked up her developed pictures yesterday and she couldn’t seem to put them away. The breathtaking Montana scenery tugged at a deep place in her soul. However, the pictures of Brad brought tears to her eyes. Her heart hurt and she didn’t know if she’d ever get over him.

  Reluctantly plopping the pictures on the coffee table, she picked up the newspaper, intent on finding a new job, when her phone rang.

  “Hello? This is Emily Stanton.”

  “Emily? It’s Brad.”

  Her heart pounded so fast, she couldn’t catch her breath. Was he calling so she’d reconsider her resignation?

  “Emily?”

  “I’m here,” she managed to say.

  “I want you to fly to Thunder Canyon with me tomorrow.”

  “Tomorrow?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why?”

  “To finish what we started. A couple of things have happened. I found Tess’s daughter. Annie’s going to fly in and she and Tess are going to be reunited. I want to keep that meeting private. But then there’s going to be a press conference, and the mayor would like both of us there.”

  “Why a press conference?”

  “The deed was authenticated. Lisa Martin is the true owner of the Queen of Hearts mine. Apparently this story has piqued the nation’s interest, and the press conference will be broadcast on CNN. The other networks might be there, too. Brookhurst says he’ll tell us what he has planned when we get there, but he’s adamant about you coming along. You’re the one who found the deed.”

  “It was a fluke.”

  “A fluke you investigated. The mayor wants us both there,” he repeated firmly.

  When Brad used that tone, she knew he wouldn’t change his mind. “And you want to leave tomorrow?”

  “Yes. We’ll have a meeting with the mayor after we arrive. The press conference will be held the following morning. Will you come along and finish this with me?”

  She knew she shouldn’t. She knew her heart was already broken and being with Brad would keep it that way. Yet she also couldn’t resist the idea of seeing him again, being with him again. Besides, she did want to see Tess and her daughter reunited. That was the most important aspect of all this.

  “All right. I’ll come along.”

  There was a pause. Then he said, “Great. I have meetings tomorrow morning before our flight so I’ll send a car for you.”

  “I can take a taxi.”

  “I’ll send a car for you. He’ll pick you up around nine-thirty. Our flight leaves at noon.”

  Before she had a chance to change her mind, he hung up.

  Gazing at the pictures she’d taken of Brad, she knew this could be the biggest mistake of her life. Nevertheless, she had nothing to lose this time because she’d already lost her heart.

  On this trip when Emily and Brad arrived in Bozeman, he rented a car. The awkwardness between them had hit an all-time high. Brad seemed to be mulling something over, and she’d left him to his thoughts most of the trip.

  Now, as they drove into Thunder Canyon for their meeting with the mayor, she asked, “Are we going to check in at the motel first?”

  “We’re not staying at the motel.”

  “We certainly won’t be welcome at the Lazy D.”

  “Actually, we’re staying at the cabin tonight.”

  Her gaze jerked toward his. “Why?”

  “The same reason as last time, actually. Everything’s booked up. This press conference has brought people in from all over the country, including reporters, news teams and curious busybodies.”

  “And Caleb’s letting us use the cabin?”

  “I made a deal with him.”

  That surprised Emily. Last week she might have asked Brad what the deal was. But today she really had no right to know.

  The meeting with the mayor was methodical as he went over the schedule for the press conference.

  Then Brad said, “I’m picking up someone at the airport tomorrow morning. Is there a place we could use to have a private meeting before the press conference starts?”

  The mayor thought about it. “You can use Conference Room A on the second floor. Would that be suitable?”

  “That will be just fine.”

  Emily couldn’t help but see that Brad looked worried. Maybe he was afraid Tess and her daughter’s reunion wouldn’t go well.

  As they drove to the cabin, Emily asked, “I guess the creek water’s gone down?”

  “Yep. I had someone check it for us. Unless we get tons of rain overnight, we’ll be able to get out in the morning.” His gaze met hers. “Don’t you want to get stranded again?”

  She wasn’t exactly sure how to answer that one. “I have job interviews on Friday. I can’t miss those.”

  When Brad looked back at the road, his jaw was set, his mouth a tight line. Something was going on with him, but she had no idea what it was.

  After they arrived at the cabin, she saw it was stocked both with groceries and with firewood. Apparently Brad wasn’t taking any chances this time.

  She motioned toward the logs. “We have plenty.”

  Dropping his suitcase next to the sofa, Brad motioned out back. “There’s a generator hooked up now, too, so you won’t have to worry about the power going out.”

  “I’m not worried.” She wasn’t—not as long as she was with Brad.

  After they’d eaten a quiet supper with forced conversation, Brad realized he didn’t know what the hell he was doing. He thought he’d planned this out, but being with Emily again had made him doubt his course. He didn’t want her to think he’d brought her to the cabin again to sleep with her. That wasn’t what this was about. But she seemed as jittery as a teenager on her first date, and he wasn’t much better. He knew he couldn’t just tell Emily he loved her. He had to show her. He had to make a public declaration so she’d know his intentions were true.

  Tomorrow he’d find out if she loved him. If she wanted to spend her life with him. The suspense was killing him.

  They sat in front of the fire listening to music. He told her how he’d found Tess’s daughter and then he added, “I’m going to take more cases like Tess’s.”

  “Missing persons?”

  “Yes. Especially parents who can’t find their kids. I’m starting a new division at Vaughn Associates just for that.”

  Her eyes became huge and wide. “Your father agreed to that?”

  “He didn’t have much choice if he wanted me to stay. I’ll be head of the division. He won’t be overseeing it.”

  Emily looked happy for him, yet there was deep sadness in her eyes, too, and he wondered if that was because they wouldn’t be working together. They might be if all went as he’d planned.

  As Emily stared into the fire for a few more moments, she said, “I guess I’d better turn in.”

  He hadn’t touched her up until now because his self-control was at a premium. Although he wanted her in his arms, he wanted her there the right way.

  When she stood, he stood with her and blocked her path to the bedroom. “Did you see the gossip column in the newspaper a few days ago—about Suzette and me?”

  “Yes, I did. It was a public statement that you’re not the father of Suzette Brouchard’s child. I guess you’re glad that’s all over.”

  “I am. I just wanted you to know it was cleared up.”

  “Brad, I’m sorry I didn’t believe you at first. My only excuse is that I didn’t know you. Once we spent time in Thunder Canyon together, I realized that if you said you weren’t the father, then you weren’t the father. I knew that before we returned to Chicago.”

  Grateful Emily would never be anything but honest with him, he was touched deeply by her words. His lips longed to take a kiss, his hands longed to rove her body, but instead of doing either, he brought his hands to her s
houlders and leaned in and kissed her forehead.

  Huskily he said, “You have sweet dreams tonight, Emily. You should never have any other kind.”

  As she looked up at him questioningly, he just smiled and tapped his index finger to her nose.

  Smiling back, she disappeared into the bedroom and closed the door.

  Chapter Fourteen

  When Emily took Tess to breakfast the following morning, Caleb’s housekeeper was outwardly nervous. She couldn’t seem to sit still, opening her purse for a tissue, pushing her food around, picking up her fork and putting it down again, wiping her mouth with her napkin.

  Emily leaned across the—; and patted her arm. “It’s going to be all right.”

  “When I talked to Annie on Saturday, she seemed so hesitant about coming home again. I told her it didn’t have to be permanently. If she liked California, I could go out there and visit her. Since Mr. Vaughn won’t take any money for finding Annie, I have my savings.”

  “Your daughter might need to get the feel of Thunder Canyon again. I know it took me a while.”

  “She wasn’t happy here,” Tess said with a shake of her head. “Maybe I should move out there. I could. Maybe Mr. Douglas has a friend in California I could work for.” Then she sighed. “He’s still in such a bad mood these days because of the mine and all.”

  Ignoring Tess’s comment about Caleb, Emily focused on Annie. “I think you should wait and spend a few days with your daughter and find out what she’s thinking. You’ll have to get to know each other all over again.”

  Tess took another bite of her eggs. “I guess you’re right. My mind’s just speeding ahead so fast I can’t stop it.”

  All too well Emily knew what that was like. Last night as she’d lain in the cabin bedroom alone, hearing Brad move about out in the living room, her mind had raced, too. But it hadn’t gotten anywhere.

  She wondered why he’d asked her along. Simply because she’d been involved in the case and might want to see the conclusion? Although he’d told her the mayor wanted her there, that seemed superficial. Maybe this trip was Brad’s way of saying a final goodbye since they hadn’t done it when she’d resigned. Whatever the reason, her heart ached to be with him…really with him. He’d driven into Bozeman to pick up Annie at the airport, and she and Tess were supposed to meet him at the town hall in the conference room upstairs at ten-thirty. The press conference was scheduled for eleven.