The truth of that stopped him. “Isn’t there anything I can do?”
“You’ve already done so much. It felt good to say it out loud. I doubt I’ll ever tell anyone again. So, no, there’s nothing more you can do. Just know that I appreciate it. All of it.”
He smiled. “So maybe we can hook up when I get back from the Sundance?”
Grace settled in her seat. “Maybe. If I’m not asleep.” Though he couldn’t pinpoint it, something in her tone bothered him. He sure hoped it wasn’t regret.
* * *
LENA HAD LEFT two voice mails before Ben could get back to her. Fresh out of the shower, he hit speed dial. She answered on the second ring. “Where are you?”
“Hello, Lena,” he said, keeping his voice neutral, his temper in check. “You want to tell me what’s going on with the loan?”
“You call my friends? What the hell were you thinking?”
“About the loan.” He put her on speaker and pulled on his jeans. “You backed out. Why?”
“I had no idea if you were still interested. You take off half-cocked for Montana in the middle of everything. What was I supposed to think?”
“Jesus.” Yeah, just what he figured. She was being pissy because he’d left. “I told you two weeks ago I had this wedding.”
“And I distinctly remember telling you we had a conflict. The awards dinner?”
“Come on, Lena, you can do better than that.”
She hesitated, but he could picture those red-tipped claws coming out while she weighed her options. “So, are you in or not?”
“I’m in. I’ve always been in.” He pulled a blue shirt out of the narrow closet. “Are you?”
“You’re sounding rather cocky. You have a sudden windfall I don’t know about?”
Ben gritted his teeth. Jesus, how often had Lena pulled this crap? She always needed to be in control. The only reason he was in this with her at all was because he knew once he was running the ranch full-time, she’d back off and leave him to manage things. “I’ll be here another few days, then head back on Saturday morning.”
“Why not leave today? The loan papers are waiting for our signatures.”
“We’ve been approved?”
“Of course.”
Relief poured into him, blunting his annoyance. He thought about Grace. He wasn’t about to jump through more hoops for Lena, not when Grace was so sure the shit was about to hit the fan. No way he’d leave her to face it alone. “Saturday is the soonest I can get out of here. I had some trouble with the Porsche. It should be ready by then.” He’d done a number on the paint job, so it wasn’t an outright lie.
“You’re letting some hick mechanic work on it?”
“I’ll call you once I’m on the road.”
“Fine. The minute you leave...”
Ben shook his head. “I have to go,” he said, and disconnected before she started pouting.
He wanted those papers signed. Owning half the ranch would change so much for him. He’d had the urge to return to ranching for a long time. But it had never been stronger than now...since he’d come back to Blackfoot Falls.
He buttoned his shirt, staring at his phone and wondering if he could change Grace’s mind about going with him to the Sundance. She was suffering because of her moral choice to take the high road. Something he hadn’t seen since...well, since learning the truth about his mother. He’d gotten so used to the backstabbing Hollywood bullshit that he’d forgotten there were good people in the world. Strong people. Like Grace. Sitting in her room stewing wouldn’t do any good. The more he thought about Wade’s face after Grace spanked the hell out of him earlier, the more inclined Ben was to consider she might have reason to worry. The guy was just plain stupid. And that made him unpredictable. If he had half a brain, he’d realize he was outsmarted and outclassed and should keep his damn mouth shut.
Grace had mentioned she might contact her old boss, find out if the talk had died down. Maybe warn him that Wade might call and stir things up. That could be a good idea, or it could backfire. He was a little surprised how much it mattered to him that her honor in doing the right thing could come back to bite her in the ass.
Even so, Grace wouldn’t give in and take the easier route. The longer he knew the woman, the more he admired her.
As he got his wallet and keys off the dresser, it dawned on him again that the loan had gone through. Tonight, maybe he’d talk to Cole about the stock. Although it might be smarter to wait until the papers were signed.
Once he was in the hallway, locking his door, his thoughts circled back to Grace. It could get sticky if Lena decided to delay things. He hoped not, but he wasn’t about to leave just because Lena was playing head games. Not even for the Ventura ranch.
He stopped cold.
For the past six months, every career decision he’d made, every dream he’d dreamed had led to owning a ranch and working with horses again. Stunt work paid damn well. His agent had thought he was crazy, and who knew, maybe Ben was a little loco from too many concussions. But damn it, he liked Grace. A lot. And he supposed he had stronger feelings for her than he’d had for a woman in a long time. Okay, if ever...
But...
Ah, hell, he didn’t know what to make of her. Or the way he felt. He’d never had an easier time talking to anyone. When he was with Grace, he didn’t want to be anywhere else. The sex was awesome, too, so yeah, of course he had feelings. He wanted to crawl into bed with her right now. And he would, later, after he got back from the Sundance.
* * *
GRACE LOOKED UP from her book and glanced at the alarm clock again. It was five minutes past eleven, and five minutes since the last time she’d checked. She certainly knew it was true that no good deed went unpunished. It wasn’t enough that she’d had to leave her job and her old life behind forever. Now she might be falling for a man who’d be gone in two days.
Not to mention that her career could once again be in jeopardy.
It was her own fault. She’d been careless and arrogant, pushing Wade too far and then ignoring the possible repercussions. Even knowing Wade would make trouble, she’d gone off with Ben instead of focusing on cleaning up her own mess. She could’ve asked him to bring her straight home. If she had, she might’ve made the call to her former boss in time to prevent Wade from digging up the rumors that had sent her packing.
The stupid jerk had worked fast.
No, that was just an excuse. She’d screwed up twice.
Regardless of the whole Wade fiasco, she’d known spending time with Ben was dangerous, that when she was with him, she couldn’t control herself.
It wasn’t like her to get so into a man she barely knew. She’d never entered relationships quickly or easily. The last time she’d gotten semiserious was in college. She and Eric had stayed together at the University of Arizona for two years. Then he’d taken a job in Pittsburgh, and they’d ended the relationship with very little drama. Of course, she’d been sad. Breakups were hard, but she’d gotten over him.
Then again, she’d never felt this with Eric.
She tossed her book aside. No use trying to read. All she could think about was the mess she’d made. And for what? Ben was leaving.
He’d probably come back a couple of times a year to visit his mother. She groaned. She’d be gutted the first time he came home with a woman.
Damn. Ben wasn’t supposed to have been here long enough for this to happen. She certainly hadn’t meant to trust him with her secrets. And her heart. But she had, and now she had to figure out how to stop thinking about the man who could have been... Nope. Not going there.
She adjusted the pillows behind her back. Tomorrow was going to be a bitch. And yet, here she was dressed and ready to see Ben, furious at herself for even considering seeing him again tonight. Hadn’t s
he screwed up enough for one day? For a lifetime?
God, she wasn’t a stupid person. How could she have so blithely underestimated Wade? He’d already gotten to someone in her old office.
The soft knock on her door had her holding her breath.
It took all of her willpower not to let him in. Then she remembered he’d be gone in no time at all, and the pull came back. But the only person she could count on here in Montana was herself. When she was with Ben, the rest of the world disappeared, and she couldn’t afford to let her guard down again. She needed to cut this off right now before she did something else stupid. No one knew better than her that impulsive decisions had consequences. So even as he called her name, she kept her mouth shut, put her book under the covers and blinked away the tears.
17
THE STARES AND whispers started shortly after lunchtime the next day. Grace drove back to town and parked the truck between the office and The Watering Hole. Then headed to the bar to respond to a robbery call from Sadie. Before Grace had hit the sidewalk she noticed several curious looks and could feel the buzz in the air.
Amazing how small-town rumors could spread as quickly as wildfire. At least she hadn’t been caught off guard. Though she wasn’t sure if that made things any better since her tummy had tightened into a giant knot. She tugged at her blue ball cap, wondering if she should bother replacing it with a Stetson to go with her uniform shirt. She might be fired today. Wouldn’t take long to find out.
She smiled at a pair of elderly white-haired ladies who could be twins. They stood at the curb as if waiting to cross the street, though no cars were coming. One of them smiled back. The other woman’s eyes widened, and her cheeks turned a bit rosier.
The Watering Hole wasn’t open for business yet, but Sadie said she’d leave the door unlocked. Something she did often during the day. It was no wonder cash was missing from the register. Blackfoot Falls residents were generally friendly and honest, but there were always a few bad seeds in any town.
Wade immediately came to mind. No, he was just insecure and petty. And Grace had let her foolish pride open the door for him to find her Achilles’ heel.
Sadie wasn’t standing behind the bar like usual. Instead, she sat on a stool facing the door, a small glass of something in her hand. Looked like whiskey, though Grace had never seen the woman drink.
“Come on over here,” Sadie said when Grace paused to glance around the bar.
The tables and chairs were paired and orderly, the floor swept clean. Whoever had stolen the money had left the place in good condition, so it wasn’t likely revenge. But then, Sadie might’ve ignored the request to not touch anything.
Walking toward the older woman, Grace withdrew a small notebook from her pocket. “No forced entry from what I could see. Did you leave the bar unlocked overnight?”
“Nah. I’ve had the occasional bottle of whiskey go missing from time to time, and that never bothered me, but after we had that little scare a couple years back...” Sadie shrugged. “Turned out to be nothing, but I got in the habit of locking up at night.”
Maybe it was nothing, maybe not. “Tell me what happened.” Grace opened the notebook and clicked her pen.
Sadie frowned. “Oh, put that thing away,” she said with a wave of her hand. “I only said I’d been robbed to get you over here. You want something to drink? Tonic or soda since you’re on duty?”
Dumbstruck, Grace stared at her. “Sadie, you can’t make false reports. It’s illegal.”
“For pity’s sake. How else am I supposed to get you alone for a few minutes?”
“I’m serious.”
“So am I.”
Sighing, Grace slid onto a stool. “Is it that bad?”
“The rumors?” Sadie got to her feet and moved to the other side of the bar. “It’s all Wade’s doing.”
“I know.”
Sadie seemed surprised. “Do you know why?”
“Um, I think so.” Though now Grace wasn’t so sure. “Because I humiliated him yesterday?”
Chuckling, Sadie poured a soda and squeezed in some lime. “Couldn’t have been too hard to do that. That boy doesn’t have the brains God gave a turkey. Of course everyone knows he’s bucking to be sheriff, but he also has a nephew he’s hoping to hire on as deputy.”
“Huh.” Grace accepted the drink and took a quick sip. “No, I didn’t know about that.”
“So it’s not enough to beat you in the election. He needs you gone so he can hire Daryl. And I can tell you for certain that boy ain’t any brighter than Wade.”
Grace’s mouth was so dry, she gulped her soda. She wished Sadie would get back to the rumors, or Grace would have to ask outright, and she’d hate to do that.
Sadie refilled the drink, then came back around. “Here’s the scuttlebutt. You were having an affair with your married partner and pressuring him to leave his wife. The two of you were arguing about it outside a store that was being robbed. He jumped out to stop the thief. You were mad and didn’t back him up, and he was shot and killed.”
Grace gasped. Air got trapped in her lungs, and she couldn’t draw a breath. Of course, none of the account was true, all of it horrible, but that anyone could imagine her capable of allowing another human being to be gunned down made her sick to her stomach.
“I heard the same story from Marge and Louise at the diner and later from Abe at the variety store. That’s pretty much it.”
That was it?
Grace held in a whimper.
“Oh, honey, you’re as white as a ghost,” Sadie said, her eyes brimming with sympathy. “Considering the circumstances, I can’t imagine Noah would mind if you had a few sips of whiskey.”
“No, thank you.” Her voice cracked a little. “Not while I’m on duty.”
Sadie nodded and squeezed Grace’s cold hand. “Folks around here can’t pass up a juicy story, whether they believe it or not. But it’ll die down soon enough, you’ll see.”
Grace silently cleared her throat. “You haven’t asked me if the story’s true.”
“Now why would I do that when I already know the answer?” Snorting, Sadie picked up her glass. “I don’t need a fancy degree to be able to read people. After listening to drunk woebegone cowboys half my life, I do just fine. And, honey,” she said, gesturing with her drink at Grace. “You’re no home-wrecker. And you sure ain’t the type who’d sit back and watch a man die.”
Sadie drained her glass and set it down with finality. “If this crap about you doesn’t stop soon, I’ll make up a real good yarn that’ll snap up everyone’s attention right quick.”
Grace laughed in spite of herself. “Don’t do that.”
“Is it illegal? I don’t think so.” She stared at her empty glass. “I miss whiskey. Had to give it up on account of the diabetes. I gotta go make more tea. Stick around and have some with me.” Grinning, she pushed to her feet. “Tell me how you humiliated Wade.”
“I have to get back to work.”
The sound of squeaky hinges had them both turning toward the door. It was Clarence.
Grace saw the scowl on his flushed face and wanted to scream. Maybe, just maybe, he’d keep things professional and not say anything until they had privacy.
“I warned you about him,” he said, storming toward her. “I did. You can’t say otherwise.” He withdrew a white handkerchief from his royal-blue sports jacket and mopped his sweaty forehead.
“Wade?” Grace sure didn’t remember him being mentioned.
“Wade? Who said anything about him?” Clarence sucked in a breath and leaned against the bar next to her. “So, you’ve been canoodling with him, too?”
Grace could only stare. “What are you talking about?”
“Ben...Hilda’s boy. I told you right off he was trouble. That you should keep your
distance. But no, you let him sniff around, and now look what’s happened.” He mopped his bald spot. “Sadie, get me a glass of cold water, would you, darlin’?”
Sadie folded her arms, eyes narrowed. “I’m not open yet. Get out.”
His head reared back. He studied her face a second and saw she was pissed. He straightened.
“Sadie?” Grace smiled, trying with everything she had to keep her cool. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to hear the mayor out.”
The older woman’s glare flickered. “You heard the deputy...go ahead, speak your piece.”
Clarence blinked. “Now, Grace, you know it’s because I care about you,” he said, watching her slide the rest of her soda water toward him. “Ben Carter has always been bad news, and why you would’ve told him about what happened back in Arizona is beyond me.” Clarence picked up the glass and drained it. “Maybe it was just pillow talk. Nothing to be ashamed of,” he added quickly. “I know how you women can’t help getting a little chatty during those special times...”
Sadie made the oddest noise.
Afraid Sadie was about to lunge over the bar at Clarence, Grace turned sharply.
Sadie was only trying not to laugh.
With a sigh, Grace realized she’d been kinda hoping for a smackdown. He wanted to blame Ben? Jeez. She calmly returned her attention to Clarence. “What have you heard?”
“You want me to repeat it?”
Grace thought about it for a moment. “No, I guess that isn’t necessary. Yesterday, I found out you’d told people that I left Arizona because of a bad breakup, that I was upset over being dumped.”
“Not everybody. Just Noah and the deputies.”
“You don’t even know why I left Arizona.”
“Your dad mentioned you needed a change,” Clarence muttered, sounding less sure of himself. “It wasn’t hard to figure out. And frankly, what I said is a whole lot better than what really happened.”
“Oh, so you believe the rumors.” She tried to keep her expression blank. She really hoped she’d succeeded. It shouldn’t hurt that he’d accepted the gossip as gospel. This was Clarence, for heaven’s sake. What did she expect?
Anywhere with You Page 17
