by Rhea Regale
“Don’t be workin’ yourself too hard.” Miss Bess gave her arm a reassuring rub. “Enjoy your time here. Experience the sights.” She winked when Brianna glanced up at her. “You’ll be richer for it.”
Miss Bess’s parting words stuck with her the entire ride into town. Coffee in hand, Brianna started her trek along the sidewalk, observing the old-style storefronts with their wooden signs hanging outside the businesses. Each window was dripping with Christmas décor, some with garland and ornaments, and others with decals or twinkling lights. Ryder didn’t skimp around the holidays, as evident by the garland and ornament wrapped wooden pillars and street lights.
Brianna soaked in the small town, a smile creeping over her mouth. She wasn’t used to visiting places like this, where holidays were huge deals and everyone came out to celebrate. The cold weather didn’t seem to bother the shoppers and strollers. Main Street was hustling with townsfolk and guests. The large park across the street was filled with people walking around and admiring the richly decorated spruces that dazzled in the morning sunlight.
“What a difference from home,” she said into her cup. The hot liquid sliding down her throat kept her warm from the inside out. Ensuring her car was locked, she headed into the nearest business to start her interviews.
Forty-five minutes later, determination and optimism dragging at her heels, Brianna stepped into a florist shop. The strong scents of pine and cinnamon greeted her and did something to lift her sullen spirits.
“Be right out,” a woman called from the back of the store.
“Take your time,” Brianna said, noting several incomplete arrangements lined up on three work benches behind the customer-friendly setup at the front of the store. She sidestepped to a small display of potted foliage and festively decorated bouquets, unable to keep from touching the shiny leaves. On the wall beside a cooler, grave blankets hung, with a sample book beneath. She paged through a few of the arrangements, impressed by the lush beauty and attention to detail.
Shoes clicked against the wooden floor at her back. “Sorry. Runnin’ behind and I’m shorthanded. What can I…”
Brianna’s eyes narrowed on the woman she vaguely recalled from the hospital. The woman stopped wiping her hands with the dirt-smudged rag and wagged a finger at her.
“You look familiar,” the woman said, cocking her head.
Brianna grinned and nodded. “The woman from the hospital with the crazy mother.” She held out her hand. “Brianna Cabot.”
“Summer Enderson. Pleasure to see you again. You’re Jackson’s girlfriend.” Summer laughed, a befriending blush touching her cheeks. “Sorry, Carter mentioned it to me.”
“Are you and Carter…?”
“Together? Yeah.” Summer stepped aside and spread her arm. “Why don’t you come back here? I have a few seats that aren’t filled with buckets and trimmin’s. Can I get you somethin’ to drink?” She motioned to Brianna’s cup. “Fresh coffee?”
“I’m fine, thank you.” Brianna followed Summer to the closest work bench and took a seat on the edge of the seat. “I can’t stay long.”
Summer nodded, settling on the bench in front of an arrangement. “I’m gonna assume you’re not here for flowers?”
Brianna smoothed her fingertip over the velvety petal of a white rose in the half-completed arrangement. “No. I’m doin’ research and was wonderin’ if I could ask a couple of questions.”
Summer shared another warm smile with Brianna and shrugged. “’Course, as long as you don’t mind my workin’ as we talk. Katie’s still recoverin’ from her injuries. She’s my helpin’ hand. Amazin’ how much you can rely on someone and not even realize it until you don’t have them to help in your greatest time of need.”
She wished she had Jackson to help her out about now. “I know that feelin’.”
“Well, what can I help you with?”
Brianna pulled her hand from the rose petals and rested her elbow on the table. “I’m lookin’ into what you feel drives tourists to Ryder. It’s a small town, not on the map so to speak. Do you think residents would benefit from a boost in tourism?”
Summer’s lips pressed together, a soft crease forming over her brow. She trimmed flower stems without pausing in her thoughts. “I think any business owner would benefit from a little more business, but economy plays a big part in that. We have a nice flow of customers who vacation at the ranch. Winter is a slower season, naturally, but I don’t think anyone’s hurtin’.” She craned her neck and placed a red carnation into the green block in the center of the basket. “Ryder’s a small town, yes, but there’s somethin’ to be said about small-town livin’ that city folk miss. I moved here years ago and fell in love with the simplistic way of life and the people in Ryder. It’s a different kinda livin’. We’re not hustlin’ like the cities. We’re all here to help each other. There’s respect, a genuine kindness and carin’.”
“I’ve noticed that.”
“Brianna, where are you from, if you don’t mind my askin’?” Summer clipped the end of a stem and handed the white rose to Brianna.
“Nashville currently.” Brianna rolled the stem of the rose between her thumb and finger. She lifted the silky petals to her nose and inhaled the sweet fragrance. “Grew up in a town not far from Nashville.”
“Ah. So, how do you like Ryder?”
“It’s quaint.” She grinned, glancing at Summer over the petals. Summer propped her chin on her fist, watching Brianna. “Simple. Different.”
“Beautiful.”
Brianna laughed and nodded. “Yes, that, too. The scenery is breathtakin’.”
“Has Jackson brought you down to the ranch? With all the snow, can’t do too much unless you’re on snowmobiles or ATVs with skis.”
“We were there the other day. It’s gorgeous with all the snow.”
Summer rapped her fingers on the table and picked up another sprig of greenery. “You think this is gorgeous, you should see what the spring and summer bring. Miss Bess grows some delicious fruits in her backyard. The farmers’ markets are overflowing with harvested crop. We eat some of the best beef in the country, fresh from the fields to the butcher.” She leaned back and narrowed her eyes on the arrangement, tugging a flower here, a sprig of green there. “To alter what is here now would alter everythin’ this town stands for. Bring in an abundance of vacationers on top of the business Colt does at the ranch and you’re gonna put people out of business. Small shops like this will be bought up by bigger commercial businesses when client demands increase. There’s a reason small-town America is disappearin’.”
“You don’t think Ryder would benefit from havin’ a resort close-by?”
“A resort?” Summer shook her head and pulled a bunch of roses from a nearby bucket. “Ryder is what you see, Brianna. A resort will cause everythin’ around you to die a slow and painful death. I don’t want to sound melodramatic, but it’s the way of big business. People don’t know how to stop and, well”—she motioned to the rose at Brianna’s nose—“there is more to life than tryin’ to best the next person. There’s more to life than livin’ every day, tryin’ to be wealthy rich and provin’ yourself better than everyone. The Ryder family is wealthy, yes, but they are rich in heart and soul. They are a special family, each and every one of them. They give back to the people who give to them. It’s a delicate balance, a formula that’s worked for centuries, and it will continue to work if not interrupted.”
Brianna stared down into the pure white petals of the rose. A delicate balance. Give and take. That was what she gathered from all of her interviews so far. The very idea of a resort put a few business owners on the defense, and she couldn’t get anything else out of them. In the ten minutes she’d been sitting here with Summer, she learned more about this town, the people, and the way of life than she had all morning.
She understood, and that understanding waged a war between want and need, right and wrong. She wanted her promotion. She needed to get that promotion to…
>
To what? Prove myself to my own mother and her friends?
Forcing a resort onto this town would most likely cause a slow collapse of the Ryder she explored over the last hour. Jackson’s home would never be the same if the “wealthy rich” chose this as their primary vacation spot. They would come to expect their top-of-the-line restaurants, posh night clubs, and expensive clothing stores.
Her mother and people like her mother would come and turn their noses up at these small gems. They would refuse to return unless their tastes were served. Money spoke, and Ryder would fall.
My god, what have I agreed to?
The bell jingled over the door. The heavy clicks of boots approached the table. Brianna twisted enough to glimpse the customer as he stepped by her, cupped Summer’s chin in the palm of his hand, and caught her mouth in a thorough kiss.
Brianna tilted her head to the side, noting the ends of sandy-colored hair beneath the cowboy hat. Summer eased the hand from her chin and let out an airy laugh as the kiss ended. The man straddled the bench on the other side of Summer, facing Brianna, and slung his arms over Summer’s shoulders. Brianna recalled him from the hospital, and detected a deep rose paint the woman’s cheeks from the corner of her vision as her mind tried to wrap itself around what had just happened.
That is not Carter.
“Hey, you’re Jackson’s woman,” the man said, a handsome half grin teasing his lips. “Almost didn’t recognize you all done up.”
“Braden, this is Brianna. She’s askin’ some questions about a resort in the area,” Summer said, patting Braden’s thigh. Braden reached in front of Summer and held out his hand.
“Nice to meet you, Brianna.”
Brianna couldn’t smooth the wrinkle in her brow. She shook Braden’s hand, daring a glance at Summer. “You, too, um, Braden.”
“Where’s Carter?” Summer asked.
“Finishin’ up some last-minute preparations.” Braden flicked the brim of his hat higher up on his forehead. “Caught wind of this resort proposal.”
“Let me guess. Rylan?” Brianna asked.
“And others. Things get around fast here.”
Brianna took a deep breath and pressed to her feet. Braden and Summer followed her lead, Summer wiping her hands on the rag.
“Well, I’ll let you get back to work. Thank you for your time, and it was nice to meet you under better circumstances,” Brianna said. She held out the rose for Summer, but the woman shook her head.
“For those moments when you feel you’re forgettin’ the important things in life. We all need a rose to smell,” Summer said, resting her hand over Braden’s that had dropped to her shoulder. “Sometimes, it’s all you need to clear your mind and figure things out.”
“Thanks again.” Brianna paused at the front door and turned back to Summer and Braden. His arm had slinked around her waist, his chin resting on her head. “You do an amazin’ job here, Summer. Beautiful work.”
“I appreciate that.”
Brianna ducked her head and left the small shop. Her grand plan for the day flopped. Even if she dared to muse the idea of a petition, the people of Ryder taught her one important lesson. They stuck together under any and all circumstances. She would be hammering away at a wall that would never crack or crumble. Ryder might be small, but this town was as strong as any big city.
Shoulders slumped, Brianna tossed her empty coffee cup into a garbage can and resigned to the inevitable loss of her much-needed promotion. Braden kissing Summer left her more curious than confused, taking precedence in her array of thoughts. Summer said she was with Carter and yet didn’t try to hide that there was something going on between her and Braden.
“No.” She shook her head and picked up her pace, coming up on Main Street. “Not possible.”
She turned the corner and almost ran into another shop gazer.
“Finally, I’ve found you.”
Brianna came up short of brushing by the man. The blood froze in her veins. Her fingers squeezed the stem of her rose. Slowly, she turned, swallowing down the sudden swell of bile that rose in her throat.
“Sean.”
Chapter Twelve
“Let me guess. My mother told you I was here.”
Sean’s hazel eyes glittered, and not with a hint of playfulness. He reminded her of a snake. He may appear harmless until he sank his fangs into his victim. She stepped back. He filled the gap she created, his smile bone chilling. The cold breeze didn’t mess a single strand of gelled hair on his head. The man stood out like a city exec decked out in his black trench coat, leather gloves, cashmere scarf, suit pants, and polished shoes. A sore extreme to the man who sidled by them in a puffer coat, faded blue jeans, and ratty baseball cap. The man tipped his hat in greeting, but continued without stopping.
“Your mother told me about your accident and I came as soon as I could. She asked me to bring you home, darling.” His upper lip pulled back in a sneer of disgust. “This is no place for you, Brianna. What can this…this place offer you that Nashville can’t?”
“An escape from you.” Brianna spun around and marched away, wishing her car was closer than the half mile down the road.
“Wait.” Sean grabbed her shoulder. She stumbled and tried to shake him off, but his fingers held firm. “It’s clear you need someone to make sure you’re not getting yourself—”
“I don’t need you. Now, let me go.”
“You should listen to what I have to say.”
“I have no reason to waste my time listenin’ to you, Sean. We broke up almost a year ago and you’re still comin’ after me because you believe the bullshit my mother spoon-feeds you.” She could definitely go for a deep breath of rose power right about now. “I threw your ring at you after I discovered you were pulling the fuses from my car so I couldn’t leave the house. I left you, Sean, because you were forgin’ my name on bank documents relinquishin’ me of any rights to my money. I walked so far away from you because you were tryin’ to seclude me from everythin’ and I wasn’t goin’ to have it. I started a life without you.”
“With that no good country lowlife.”
The rose clenched in her hand was the only thing keeping her from smacking him across the face. “I love Jackson, and I’m happy with Jackson. He respects me.” She gave his hand a pointed look. “Get off me.”
“This is the problem with you, Brianna. You don’t know when it’s in your best interest to keep your mouth shut and do as you’re told.”
No degree of rose sniffing could stop her from whipping her hand across his face. She spat at his feet and stormed away, matching the pace of her strides with the beat of her heart, ignoring those townsfolk who paused in their walk. Brianna held the rose to her chest, praying that Sean would do the smartest thing he would ever do and let her go.
For good.
“My most sincere apologies for her behavior.” Sean’s outlandish remarks as he came after her boiled her anger to a lethal level. She picked up her brisk walk to a jog. If she could get past the next street, she’d be closer to the crowds, to a glimmer of safety. With no cell phone, no way to reach Jackson, she had to pray that the residents of Ryder didn’t outcast her after nosing around.
“Brianna Cabot,” Sean snapped at her back. His iron fist clamped down around her biceps and spun her to face him. His fingers bit hard into her arm. He yanked her against him, pinning her with a glare that left her stomach ill and her learned fear of him to bubble up to the surface. “Don’t you ever make a fool of me in public like that again, do you hear me?”
“You’re hurtin’ me, Sean.” Brianna growled, suffocating her fear behind her anger. “Let go.”
He gave her a hard shake and grabbed her chin. Those lips thinned and curled in a scowl. “I am not letting you go, Brianna. Never. You will return home with me. You please me, you please your mother, and I intend to please her through any means necessary.”
Brianna gave him a hard shove against the chest. The man didn’t budge.
“You’re making a scene. Stop this childish behavior,” Sean warned. His fingers squeezed her arm, forcing a grimace from her mouth.
“Hey, what’re you doin’ mister?”
“That ain’t no way to treat a woman. Let ’er go.”
Brianna shot the two older men a panicked glance. Sean jerked her closer to the street. “This is between my wife and myself. Keep out of it.”
Brianna wrenched at her arm, successfully injecting a sharp jolt of pain through her shoulder. She punched at his shoulder with her free hand, the stem of the rose breaking against his wool coat. He caught her wrist and constricted around her bones until she whimpered. The two men came after them.
“I told you gentlemen to stay out of our business,” Sean barked, dragging Brianna toward the Mercedes parked a few spots down. Brianna shrieked, digging her heels into the sidewalk, pulling back against Sean’s strength. One of the men grabbed her waist.
Tires squealed against the pavement. A car door slammed shut, followed by the hard footfalls of booted feet.
“Is there a problem?”
Rylan?
Sean’s grip loosened. The sudden release sent her reeling back into the man holding her waist. Rylan stepped up onto the sidewalk, placing himself between Sean and Brianna. His hand was positioned on his gun. He stood a solid three or four inches taller than Sean, and the authoritative air that pulsed off of him was enough to knock sense into anyone.
“Ma’am, you okay?” the older man asked her, straightening out her scarf. She managed a shaky smile and a nod, not trusting her voice. The second man came up alongside her and gathered her hand, giving her a reassuring squeeze that ignited the onset of tears.
“Ain’t nothin’ gonna happen to you, hear?” he said.
Brianna lifted her hand to hide her quivering chin and turned to Rylan and Sean. Rylan lifted his hand in a motion to stop. Sean turned.
“Ain’t never mess with a man who’s newly back from war.” One of the men chuckled. Brianna leaned to the side. A few yards down the sidewalk, she spotted a man holding a gun in front of him. When she raised her eyes to his face, she choked.
