“What about the computer consulting work you were doing for companies that needed better web security?” Noah asked. “Couldn’t you do that from anywhere?”
“I could,” Riley said, thinking about it more seriously than he had before.
“You have to figure out what your priority is,” Clay suggested. “If you really want to be a hands-on dad to Derek, then we’ll work something out with the partnership. After all, you can open a branch in New York or Connecticut. At least you’d be closer to your son.”
“IT security work would make more sense,” Riley decided. “I have contacts. It wouldn’t hurt to make some calls. It’s not like I’d have to go ahead with anything.”
“Maybe you should wait until Brenna isn’t under your roof to make the decision.” Noah took the ball from Clay and dribbled it a few times.
“Are you suggesting I can’t make a rational decision when she’s around?”
“Did you make rational decisions when she was around before?” Clay asked.
These guys were getting too good at noticing and remembering. “Cease and desist,” he said with a resigned sigh. “I don’t want Brenna to know I’m even thinking about this. Not a word to anybody, not even your wives. You know how women talk.”
“We’re talking,” Dawson pointed out.
“Maybe you should try communicating with Brenna,” Noah concluded.
He’d like to communicate with her, all right, he thought. But his idea of communication and what Noah was suggesting were probably very different.
* * *
The next day Brenna hurried toward the Shamrock Grill pleased with the work she’d accomplished that morning. The gowns had been delivered from her store in New York to McDougall’s bridal salon. The models for the runway part of the extravaganza had stopped in for their fittings. She and Katie had gone over the flower arrangements, spoken with the managers of the other departments and made headway with all the preparations. Riley had known her mom would be babysitting for her today and he’d left a note this morning before he’d taken tourists on an excursion of the area. It had read that if she could get away, she should meet him at the Shamrock Grill at two. He’d signed it R.
When they’d been dating in high school, he’d often passed her notes like that—where they would meet and when—and signed them the same way. He’d never signed them Love, Riley. He’d never used the word. Maybe that’s another reason why she hadn’t felt...secure with his feelings for her. He wasn’t telling her what he felt now, either. Oh yeah, he desired her. But was there more underneath the passion? Would she ever know?
As she entered the Shamrock Grill, the scents of onion, baked meat loaf and simmering stew welcomed her. It was old world and rustic and always full of good smells. Liam was at one of the tables, talking to customers.
When he saw her, however, he excused himself and came toward her with a smile. “I’m glad you could come. Riley’s out back. I told him I’d keep an eye out for you. He wasn’t too sure you’d make it, though.”
She wasn’t exactly sure what to say to that. It sounded as if Liam was fishing for something but she wasn’t sure what. “The day worked out like it was supposed to for a change. I finished with everything at the store, and Mom has Derek, so—”
She suddenly realized how that all sounded—like she was still committed to her family, first and foremost. And she was, wasn’t she? Derek was part of that now, and she still wasn’t sure how Riley fit in.
After a quick frown, Liam shrugged. “Well, I’m glad it worked out. There are tables under umbrellas in the back. I open that section in the spring and fall. Riley thought you might like to eat out there. Come on, I’ll show you to a table.”
Liam led her out back to a set of tables with green-and-white-striped umbrellas. There were a few potted plants around, too, with pink and purple petunias and ivy vines. The tables were empty except for one where Riley sat. He cracked a smile when he saw her, but she wasn’t sure it was a real one. His real smiles were for Derek, not for her. When he looked at her, he just looked puzzled, as if he didn’t know what to do about her, or the situation or the desire he felt.
“I thought if we let the lunch crowd thin out, we’d have some privacy,” Riley said, giving his dad a pointed look.
“You do want lunch, don’t you?” Liam asked with an arched brow. “Or would you like to go to the kitchen and get it yourself?”
Riley looked a bit chagrinned. “I didn’t mean it that way. I just meant it would be great if you don’t have to seat someone else out here.”
“Got it,” Liam said with a nod. “And I’ll send my most discreet waitress so we don’t start any gossip.”
“There’s already gossip,” Riley said with a frown.
“I won’t ask any questions,” Liam assured them. “Just let me know if you need anything besides the waitress.”
Liam glanced at Brenna, ignoring his son’s comment. “Say goodbye before you leave.”
Brenna smiled. “I will.”
Sitting here with Riley felt odd. After all, this wasn’t a date. Had she been hoping it was? No, of course not. But she had been hoping Riley wanted some time alone. But now she suspected that wasn’t the case. He had something on his mind.
“What gossip have you heard?” she asked as casually as she could since that seemed to be on his mind. Since she’d be going back to New York, she really wasn’t concerned about her reputation. But her parents lived here as well as his family, and he was the one who would have to field questions when she left.
“I stopped at the Rocky D after the tour to check how many horses would be available tomorrow when I take a group to Feather Peak.”
She remembered the last time he’d gone to Feather Peak, and from the look in his eyes, so did he. She waited.
“Tim Levinson boards his horse at the Rocky D.”
“I remember Tim.”
Riley’s eyes narrowed. “He asked you out before you and I were...involved.”
Brenna smiled, remembering. “Yes, he did. We had a great time. His father had lent him his convertible and we drove around, just letting the wind make us feel...free. Tim wasn’t at the reunion, I don’t think.”
“No, he wasn’t. Zack said he’d gotten tied up on business in Phoenix. He has an electronics store in Flagstaff now.”
“So what does Tim have to do with gossip?”
“He heard you were back in town. He heard you’d had a baby and you were staying with me. He was pumping Zack to find out if you were here to stay, if anything was going on between the two of us, because apparently he wants to ask you out again.”
Brenna didn’t know what to say to that, so she simply said, “He does?”
“Yeah, and I just wondered what you’d say if he asked you.”
Her gaze shot to Riley’s. “And you would or wouldn’t approve if I went on a date with him?”
“You’re living under my roof.”
“And that means—”
From what she could tell, Riley didn’t lose his temper any more, not since he’d learned self-discipline in the Marines. At least that’s the impression he gave.
But right now he looked as if it was about to blow. “I don’t know what the hell it means. That’s the problem.”
“The bridal fashion show is in a week. After that I’ll help Dad tie up some odds and ends. But then I’m returning to New York. Dating anyone is the last thing on my mind. If Tim would want to have lunch for old times’ sake, sure I’d go to lunch with him if I can fit it in. But that’s all it would be, Riley, a lunch. I don’t even know how I’m going to handle working and raising Derek. I don’t need some kind of romantic entanglement thrown into the mix.”
Riley’s eyes narrowed as he studied her, as if he was trying to see the real truth. “You seem to be handling work an
d Derek just fine now.”
“But that’s because you’re around to help, too, and I know my mom will babysit whenever I need her. Back in New York, I’m going to have to depend on my sitter.”
“Have you given any consideration to joint custody?”
She sighed. “Is that really what this lunch is about? You want to convince me that handing over Derek to you six months of the year would be the best thing for him and for us?”
“I didn’t ask you here just to talk about gossip or joint custody.” He blew out a breath. “We never get any time alone and I thought we needed some.” He leaned forward and caressed her face.
The sensation of his thumb on her cheek ran through her, heating up the spring day, making her feel as if the sun was shining on her even though they were sitting in the shade of the umbrella. Did he really care? Or was he just trying to get his way?
“Zack and Jenny are having a barbecue at the Rocky D on Sunday,” he said. “Would you like to go?”
This time she needed to have something perfectly clear. “Is it a date?”
“It could be, if we want to think about it that way.”
Heaven help her, she did want to think about it that way. “A barbecue sounds like fun. We could use a little fun. I can ask Mom to watch Derek.”
“Sounds good,” Riley said, looking at her as if he wanted to kiss her, right then and there.
Suddenly a waitress came out the back door of the restaurant and approached their table. Riley looked unhappy, but Brenna felt relieved. If she and Riley did kiss in public, they’d be making a statement. She didn’t know if she was ready to make any kind of statement with him. Yes, she was falling for him again. That scared her down to her pink toenail polish.
Chapter Ten
A barbecue at the Rocky D had the same spirited enthusiasm as a county fair, Brenna decided as she and Riley parked near the barns. The spacious rear veranda was decorated with colorful lanterns and pots of pink geraniums. Tall speakers were positioned at either end and she imagined there might be dancing there later. Right now everyone was milling about under yellow canopies where picnic tables and benches were lined up family style.
“Zack’s dad sure knows how to throw a party,” Riley remarked as they passed the beautiful rose garden with its tiered fountain in the middle. They walked side by side as they headed into the aromas that rode the air—barbecued ribs, sizzling beef, roasting chicken as well as the underlying scent of pine and sage.
Brenna had worn red jeans with a white tank trimmed in red. Her platform sandals along with the gold chain around her neck dressed up the outfit. She waved at Mikala who was seated at one of the tables with Dawson and his son Luke. Clay and Celeste were seated there, too, with their daughter Abby. Zack was talking to one of the waiters at the long buffet table and he waved when he saw them.
“You and Zack were friends back in high school, weren’t you?” Riley asked.
“I didn’t run around in the same crowd, but I came to the Rocky D to ride. He knew I liked to paint and draw, and one year he gave me a picture of his mom’s favorite horse and asked me to paint a Christmas ornament that he could give to her. But he never had eyes for anybody other than Jenny, if that’s what you’re asking me.”
“I knew he was always sweet on Jenny. But they didn’t really hook up until she did an internship with his mom here at the Rocky D their senior year in high school. The Deckers gave her the first real home she’d known. Her dad came to her wedding, though, and I heard he’s visited a couple of times since.”
They watched as Silas Decker exited the back door of the house and headed for Zack. When he reached him, he put his hand on his son’s shoulder.
“Zack and his dad have found common ground, after all these years,” Riley added. “It’s a good thing to see.”
Brenna would have started forward to mingle, but Riley caught her elbow. “You said you used to paint. I don’t remember that from high school.”
“I had a small studio set up at home. I spent a lot of time there when I was feeling confused, or needed a break from the rest of the world.”
“Do you still paint?”
“I don’t have time. Once I entered design school, I spent all of my hours designing.”
“But if it’s something you like to do, you shouldn’t let it go.”
“Maybe when Derek’s older, maybe when I have enough help, maybe...” She stopped. “Maybe when we have forty-eight hour days.”
“You can’t work and take care of Derek all the time. You need something for you, too.”
“And what do you have?” she asked, intrigued by this side of Riley.
“I like to ride up to Horsethief Canyon and camp out, or do Sudoku.”
She laughed. “You’re kidding.”
“No, I’m not. It’s my guilty pleasure.” The way he was looking at her made her think about all kinds of guilty pleasures she’d like to experience with him.
He was dressed in a chambray snap-buttoned shirt with jeans and a good pair of boots. With his casually cut black hair and his very blue eyes she thought he was the sexiest man alive. But she couldn’t tell him that, of course, at least not here, and not now.
The way he was looking at her made her say, “Let’s mingle.”
Within a few minutes Brenna and Riley separated. Brenna drifted into a catch-up conversation with Jenny and then Katie joined them. It felt good to be reconnecting with women she once knew. Riley drifted over to Zack and Silas where Noah joined in. But Brenna’s gaze was never far from Riley’s and she caught him watching her, too. It was an odd feeling, coming to the barbecue together yet not really being a couple.
Did she want to be part of a couple? Ever since she’d found Thad with her roommate, she hadn’t felt she’d ever want to be part of a couple again. A romantic relationship always seemed to cause heartache. Leaving Riley all those years ago had hurt. Thad leaving her had hurt. Maybe she’d considered that pain as payback. Maybe she’d thought she’d deserved it. But if she’d stayed in Miners Bluff after graduation, and she and Riley had gone public, what would have happened to them? Neither of them had been mature enough to handle a serious relationship. And now there were no easy answers.
When Silas’ housekeeper Martha beckoned Jenny to come into the kitchen, Katie said to Brenna, “You seem a hundred miles away.”
“Only a hundred?” Brenna joked.
“Are you worrying about your business in New York? I can’t imagine running it long distance. Staying on top of everything in the flower shop is difficult enough while I’m here.”
“No, I’m not worried about New York. I mean, yes, I have to get back, but I check in every day. We videoconference and my sales force keeps me apprised of everything that’s going on.”
“So it’s Riley?” Katie asked.
She and Katie had gotten closer over the past week and Brenna had noticed something about Katie, too, that she wanted to ask her friend about. But first she said, “Yes, it’s Riley. How do you know when something old is new? And how do you know when something’s new that it won’t break your heart all over again?”
“I know what you mean,” Katie assured her, and that gave Brenna an opening.
“You seemed to be avoiding Noah earlier. When he steps into a group, you leave it. Weren’t you friends in high school?”
Looking a bit flustered for a moment, Katie finally responded, “Noah and Ross were best friends.”
Katie’s husband had been dead for over two years now, but that didn’t mean her grief had diminished. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought it up.”
“No, it’s okay. I guess you’re right. I have been avoiding Noah. But that’s hard to do when we have the same friends, and are sometimes invited to the same parties. I like Noah. He’s a great guy. But I—” She looked away for a
few moments up to Moonshadow Mountain. “I guess I just feel awkward with him because sometimes I don’t want to talk about Ross. It’s hard to explain.”
“If you ever want to talk about it, I’m just a phone call away.”
“Thank you. Returning to Miners Bluff hasn’t been easy. My parents loved Ross so, and I talk about him with them. It’s just that sometimes it’s...hard.”
Brenna was trying to find something comforting to say when she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Brenna, dear, it’s so good to see you again.”
Brenna turned toward the comforting voice and knew who it was immediately. “Ms. Conti! Hello. It’s been a long time.”
“Too long. You’re even more beautiful now than you were in high school. Hi there, Katie. It’s good to see you, too. The way you’ve redone the flower shop is fabulous.”
“And we appreciate your orders,” Katie said easily with a smile. Possibly sensing Anna Conti wanted to speak with Brenna, she said, “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to circulate a bit.”
After “see you laters” Brenna remarked, “So you’re still running the Purple Pansy.”
“I certainly am. But I’m not sure how much longer—”
Suddenly there was a loud tapping against a handheld microphone and a deep male voice asked, “Can I have your attention, please?”
Everyone turned toward the veranda where Silas was standing. His gaze met Anna’s and he motioned to her.
Anna leaned close to Brenna. “I think it’s time to reveal a little secret. You’ll soon find out why. I want to speak to you again later.” Then Anna was off to the veranda to join Silas. Zack’s father didn’t hesitate to put his arm around her.
He said, “We’ve invited you all here today for a barbecue, that’s true. But we also had an ulterior motive. We’ve kept a lid on this for the past week, and only Zack and Jenny, Mikala and Dawson knew. But Anna and I would like all of you to share in our happiness as we announce our engagement. Miss Conti has done me the honor of agreeing to marry me!”
Sudden applause burst from all around Brenna and she started applauding, too. She watched as Jenny, Zack, Mikala, Dawson and Luke joined Silas and Anna on the veranda, all of them looking overjoyed.
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