You're The One: BWWM Romance (Brothers From Money Book 12)

by Shanade White

  Sarah opened her mouth to protest, but he held up his hand. “I’m not done. It’s become quite clear to me that you never loved me and the sad truth is that I never loved you. I’ve moved on and so have you, Mike’s your husband now and you need to honor the promise you made.”

  Sarah just couldn’t believe that Owen could turn away from her so easily, they’d shared years of their lives together, it couldn’t be over so easily. Then she realized what the problem was, “You’ve met someone else, I heard rumors but I didn’t believe it.”

  Owen took a deep breath becoming more annoyed by the second, the last thing he wanted to do was talk about his love life with Sarah. But he decided that maybe she needed to know that he’d found someone who gave as much as she took. “There is someone else and she’d so much more than you’ll ever be. Tabitha has worked for everything she has and she’s shown me the value in building something yourself. I’m sure you can’t understand that since you expect everything to be handed to you.”

  Sarah didn’t even hear the last words Owen spoke, she was already thinking of how to eliminate this Tabitha person from the picture. Once she got rid of Tabitha the road would be open for her again. Knowing that she’d lost this battle and wanting to save some face, she simply turned and walked away, plans for Tabitha’s destruction already swirling in her mind.

  Owen had been in Australia for almost three weeks and he was more than ready to go home, had in fact already purchased a ticket. He’d be leaving in three days, and although he’d miss the ranch and the people there, he knew that his home was now in America with Tabitha. He was glad that he’d come, it had been the chance he needed to come to terms with many things, including his parent’s death, but most important, it had made him realize that he loved Tabitha and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

  But he still had one more thing hanging heavily on his mind, and not until he’d dealt with it would he be completely free to move on with his life. Mike had been his best friend for most of his life. They’d been friends even before Sarah had come on the scene, and he couldn’t leave without seeing him one more time. More than anything else, he wanted to be able to forgive Mike for what he’d done, he of all people should know just how manipulative Sarah could be, that he’d never seen it before was beside the point.

  Mike was surprised when he called but invited him out to his ranch that night, the hope for a reconciliation easy to hear in his voice. When he greeted Owen at the door, there was a minute of strained silence, but Owen gave him a big hug and said, “Let’s see if we can salvage a little bit of our friendship.”

  Mike looked at him strangely, not sure who this man standing in front of him was, the old Owen would have never hugged him, and especially not after what he’d done to him. “I’m sorry Owen, I don’t know what else to say.” Mike finally said, closing the door and leading Owen out onto the back porch, their favorite place to hang out.

  When he offered Owen a beer, he turned it down and instead suggested that they take one of their night rides, a tradition from their childhood that had evolved from a test of their survival skills to a monthly excuse to get away from everyone and everything. Mike was surprised by his suggestion but immediately agreed, one of the things he missed most about Owen being gone was those nights when they were out on the range. They were saddled up and on the trail in only a matter of minutes, each knowing that out on the range they’d be able to say the things to each other that needed to be said.

  Sarah got the call just as she was getting ready to go out for the night to a big party at one of the best homes in town. She’d been working for the invitation for weeks, chatting up the right people at the club she’d joined, and being seen at all the right places. But with just one phone call, she abandoned those plans and jumped in the car to drive to the ranch. Owen was there with Mike, the last thing she wanted to happen, if she was lucky she’d get there before they could do any talking.

  The drive seemed to take forever, but when she pulled into the drive and saw Owen’s truck she knew that it had been the right decision. She’d never be able to get Owen alone with Mike there, that she knew, but at least she could prevent any damage talking to him might do to her chances of fixing things with Owen. She’d begun to see Mike as simply a bump in the road to her true happiness with Owen, and tonight she’d make sure he understood that perfectly.

  But when she got into the house, it was ominously quiet, no one to be seen. She cursed Mike’s insistence that they not have any live-in help, but searched the house anyway, calling his name as she went. It was only after she’d gone onto the porch and seen their phones and keys on the table that she understood that they’d gone another one of their midnight rides.

  She’d learned to hate those rides over the years, neither man willing to share their tradition with her, flat out refusing time after time to let her go with them. Her anger rising by the second, she thought of all the times they’d come back closer than ever and she’d have to wait for days for Owen to fall under her spell again. After she and Mike got married, she’d tried to get him to go on one of those rides with her, but he’d refused again, claiming that it was something that only he and Owen did.

  Wanting to strike out at both of them, she picked up Mike’s phone and threw it out in the yard, then grabbed Owen’s planning to smash it up against the house. But just as she got her hands on it, it rang and the name Tabitha came up on the screen. As the phone rang, a plan sprang into her mind, letting it ring a few more times, she made her way into the house and the downstairs bathroom.

  Once outside the door she answered, “Owen’s phone.” Then waited through the long pause she knew was sure to come.

  “Umm, is Owen there?” Came a hesitant voice, which she knew as Tabitha.

  “I’m not sure if he’s available. Can I tell him who’s calling?” Sarah said in a sweet voice.

  There was another long pause but finally the voice on the other end said, “This is Tabitha.”

  “Okay, hold on.” Sarah said, then muted the phone and turned on the shower. When she took the phone off mute she put it on speaker sure that Tabitha would be able to hear the shower in the background. Then she practically shouted, “Darling, there’s a Tabitha on the phone for you.” She waited a few minutes before unmuting the phone, “I’m sorry but he can’t talk to you right now.” Then she disconnected the call, put Owen’s phone back on the porch and left, smiling at her quick thinking.

  Chapter 11

  When Tabitha heard the line go dead, she felt even sicker than she had before. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that Owen was with Sarah. She’d known that something bad was going to happen on his trip and it had. She’d been reminding herself of his words to her the day he left for three weeks, but now she knew that they’d just been words, when push had come to shove, Owen had gone back to what was comfortable and familiar.

  It shouldn’t have surprised her, and deep down it didn’t, she’d known all along that there was always a chance that Owen would leave her. But at the time, she’d told herself that a broken heart wasn’t the end of the world, now it was so much more than a broken heart that she had to worry about.

  Almost as soon as Owen left, she’d begun to feel sick in the morning, but she’d ignored it, telling herself it was impossible. They’d been careful, well except for that first time in the cabin when things had gotten away from them. But she’d just returned from the doctor and there was no avoiding it now, she was pregnant. In retrospect, she should have known. All the signs had been there, but she’d chalked it up to exhausting and worry about her relationship with Owen.

  Now she was pregnant and Owen was on another continent with his ex-fiancé, that they were together she had no doubt, there was no other reason the woman would be in the bathroom with him while he was in the shower. She was also sure that Sarah had done that on purpose to let her know exactly who had Owen’s affections. Taking a deep breath, she did the only thing she knew to do and
went to find Joe needed a shoulder to cry on and some advice.

  Since she’d met Owen she’d begun to believe that her dreams of having a family, a real family with a mom and a dad, might just come true. But those fledgling dreams had come to a brutal and screeching halt when she hung up the phone. Now all she could see was a long and complicated life with her child’s father continents away. Even worse, he might decide to take the baby and move back to Australia, she wasn’t a fool, money could buy anything, including full custody if he wanted it.

  Worse she didn’t even know if he wanted kids, they’d never talked about it, their relationship far from that point when he left for Australia. One thing was clear to her however, as she sat on her bed in shock, nothing and no one was going to make her give up this baby. The thrill of becoming a mother gave her the strength to get up from the bed and cross the hall to Joe’s apartment. She knew that he’d listen and understand her predicament and best of all she knew that no matter what happened he’d always be there to support her, to be an uncle to her baby.

  Owen and Mike managed to make amends, neither wanting their long relationship to end so badly. They both knew that things between them would never be the same, but at least they would part as friends. Owen counseled Mike to divorce Sarah and start his life over, shocking Mike who’d never known Owen to advise such a risk.

  “I don’t know what to think about the new you.” Mike said, as they were heading back to the ranch as the sun came up.

  “I’ve learned a lot since I left for America. I used to hate change, no that’s not right, I used to fear change, but I’ve learned that some wonderful things can come from change. Maybe that’s what you need as well — a change. If you ever want to come over to America and get away, call me, there’s always room for a friend in the canyon. I can’t promise the accommodations will be top of the line, but it’s a beautiful place, it might do you some good.” Owen said, surprising himself with the offer, but really meaning it.

  When they parted company, Owen felt a deep sense of accomplishment and realized that he was more than ready to go home, he’d done everything he needed to do, including putting Sarah behind him. Instead of waiting for his flight in two days, he decided to leave that morning unable to wait any longer to get home to Tabitha and tell her about his trip. He’d missed her more than he’d ever imagined possible and the first thing he was going to do when he saw her was tell her how much he loved her.

  By the time he reached the airport, he was beginning to get worried; he’d been trying to call Tabitha for hours and she wasn’t picking up. With the time change, she should have been just finishing up for the day, and able to answer his call, but the phone just kept ringing and ringing. He was tempted to call Flynn and have him check on her, but his flight was called and it had only been a few hours, he didn’t want to embarrass her by alarming the entire canyon.

  The first thing he did when he landed was to try and call Tabitha again, when she still didn’t answer, he called his brother. “I can’tget a hold of Tabitha and I’m getting worried.”

  “I saw her a few hours ago and she was fine.” Flynn said, then asked, “What’s going on?”

  “She’s not answering my phone calls.” Owen said, his worry turning to confusion.

  He tried over and over on the way home to get a hold of Tabitha but she never answered her phone. When he finally got back to the canyon, he headed straight for Cedar Ridge, asleep on his feet but determined to see Tabitha. When he got to the restaurant he found her in the kitchen, closing up for the night, but instead of being happy to see him, she turned on her heel and went up to the stairs to her apartment.

  Owen followed her up the stairs and stopped her before she slammed the door in his face. “Tabitha, what’s wrong?” He asked, following her into the apartment.

  “I know you were with Sarah when you went home. I called you the other night and she answered the phone.” Tabitha said, turning away from Owen and walking across the room, now more than ever she needed some space, the attraction between them was just as strong as it always was but she wasn’t going to let that distract her from what Owen had done in Australia.

  It was difficult to look him in the eyes because when she did all she wanted to do was throw herself in his arms and tell him about the baby. But she wasn’t going to humiliate herself that way, so she waited for him to speak, hoping that he’d say something to convince her that what she’d heard wasn’t true.

  “I did see Sarah, but only at the funeral. I don’t know where you got the idea that I was with her.” Owen said, confused by her accusation.

  “Then who was the woman who answered your phone the other night? You were in the shower and she said you couldn’t talk to me.” Tabitha was close to tears, but held them back hoping to save at least some of her pride, since it was the only thing she had left.

  “I haven’t been with anyone since I left you.” Owen said, beginning to get angry that she wouldn’t believe him. “I meant what I said before I left, I only want to be with you.”

  Tabitha desperately wanted to believe him, but she refused to be one of those women who believed what they wanted to hear. “I want to believe you, but….” Tabitha couldn’t finish her sentence as a wave of nausea so intense hit her she knew that she was going to throw up. Turning away from him, she began to take deep breaths to get her stomach under control.

  “Tabitha?”

  “Just leave.” She ground out between her teeth, hoping he’d go. She wasn’t ready to tell him about the baby, she’d have to eventually, but it wasn’t going to happen today.

  When Tabitha refused to turn around, Owen finally got mad and left. He’d done nothing wrong in Australia, and if Tabitha refused to believe him and help him figure out what had happened then there was nothing to be done about it. But as he drove away from Cedar Ridge, he realized that he didn’t want to let her go that easily, he’d figure out what happened and fix this. He loved her and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

  As summer turned to fall and the little bundle of joy she was carrying began to grow some of Tabitha’s sadness and heart ache began to fade. She knew she loved Owen and always would, but she didn’t want him if it was only for the baby, and she knew enough about Owen Montgomery to know that he would marry her for just that reason. They might be able to make a life together if it wasn’t for Sarah and the knowledge that he was still in love with her, it broke her heart but she’d made up her mind.

  Thanks to her curvy figure, it wasn’t hard to hide the pregnancy when she saw him, either she stood behind the counter or scurried back to the kitchen every time he came in. The first few times she saw him reduced her to tears, but Joe always seemed to be there to pick her up, even offering to marry her. But of course, she’d refused, now more than ever convinced that marriage was just a sham and she wanted no part of it.

  “Oh Joe, that’s the sweetest thing for you to offer, but I don’t need a husband to raise this child and we don’t need to be married for you to be a part of its life. I’m sorry I’m such a mess.” By the end of her little speech she was sobbing.

  Joe was silent for a long time, “I’m tempted to go find Owen and beat the crap out of him.” He finally said, the anger in his voice clear.

  “Joe, don’t do that. I’m still not ready to tell him about the baby, just leave him alone.” Tabitha said, putting her hand on his arm.

  “I know, but it just makes me so mad.” Joe said, wishing that Tabitha loved him like she loved Owen, he’d never thought much about love before, but the look in her eyes when she talked about him, made him want that same thing.

  “You’re the best friend I’ve ever had, thank you for caring about us.” Tabitha said, and gave him a big hug. “It’s going to be okay, I know it will.”

  But now after two months, the ache had faded enough that she could see Owen and not break down. She still hadn’t told him about the baby and had no idea how she was going to do it since she’
d waited so long. At four months, she was having a hard time hiding the bump under her chef’s coat, and avoiding Owen completely was out of the question since he still showed up at the restaurant several times a week.

  October arrived with a frigid storm that covered the park in a deep layer of snow and Tabitha knew that she had put of telling Owen about the baby as long as she could. The restaurant was no longer as busy as it had been during the summer and most of the staff had gone home for the winter since the hours she kept it open had declined dramatically. There would still be enough customers to keep it open, but only for a short time during breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

  She’d finally talked to Marissa, knowing that another woman would be able to understand her predicament. Marissa had urged her to talk to Owen, but agreed that it might be best if she moved back to LA for the winter and come back in the spring after the baby was born after Tabitha insisted that things with Owen were beyond repair. Tabitha promised she’d talk to him, but decided to wait until she was ready to leave before doing it.

  October turned out be one of the snowiest months the park had seen since the first year Marissa and Scott had lived there. By the middle of the month, storm after storm had dumped snow on the canyon, stirring up talk among the residents about how difficult those first years had been. People came together in the restaurant discussing survival techniques, the best way to shovel snow, and comparing the amount of food they had stored up.

  Tabitha would have been more concerned, but each time it snowed a warm front would come in and melt it all, leaving them with a muddy world that resembled spring more than winter. But all that changed shortly before Halloween when the latest round of storms dumped more than three feet of snow in the canyon and there was no prediction for warm weather to melt it. This time when everyone met in the restaurant the talk was of the sheep and cattle stranded in the mountains.

  She hadn’t seen Owen in days and was suddenly afraid that he’d made one of his trips to the upper pasture. The restaurant seemed to be the natural meeting place for the rescue teams that would be going into the mountains to bring not only the animals but the hands who cared for them home. On the night of the first meeting when Jack and Flynn walked in without Owen, she knew that he was up there and had to sit down for a second.