by Liz Isaacson
“So what sounds good tonight?” he asked, hoping to break her out of the funk she’d obviously fallen into. With disappointment and defeat, he told himself there would be no diamond-ring-shopping tonight.
She didn’t answer. He drove toward downtown, thinking they could just grab something and go eat it at his parents’ house. Or in the truck. She didn’t seem like she wanted to be around people.
Or maybe she just didn’t want to be around Brenda.
Elliott wasn’t sure, because he’d never seen Holland act like this before.
“Holland?” he asked once he’d made it downtown. “Burritos? Hamburger? We can drive over to the falls and eat.” It was already too dark to see much, but she’d never minded that before. Of course, they’d eaten and then kissed until his mouth felt bruised before. No light necessary for that.
She turned toward him, her dark eyes wide and worried. “I think we should…you should go back to the ranch.”
“I’m not goin’ back to the ranch tonight,” he said with a frown. “I almost died coming down that canyon.” He peered at her. “What’s going on?”
“I don’t want Brenda to know you’re my boyfriend,” she said in a rush of air and words. “If she knows, she’ll try to steal you from me.”
Elliott thought she was interested whether she knew he was Holland’s boyfriend or not, but he kept that thought to himself. “She has no chance, sweetheart.” He made his voice as gentle as possible. “I’m in love with you.” He added a smile to the statement.
Holland rolled her eyes and flipped her hair. “Yeah, I’ve heard that before.” She cinched her arms across her chest, and Elliott’s pulse pinched.
“So you want me to take you back there?” Confusion dripped from every word.
“Yes,” she said. “I can tell her we had to run back to your place for something real quick. No big deal.”
“Holland, I don’t get it. She doesn’t know we’re dating? You didn’t tell your family?” She’d told him she’d mentioned him to her family. If she hadn’t….
She looked at him with real fear in her expression. “I told my mom and Lisa. Swore them to secrecy.” Her gaze wandered to his hat and back to his eyes. “Please, Elliott.”
He didn’t see what choice he had. “All right.” He returned her to her house, where Brenda’s face peeped through the window. He wouldn’t even get to kiss her. Sure enough, Holland leapt from the truck almost before it had even come to a full stop. She didn’t look back as she hurried up the walkway and went back in the house.
Elliott had no idea what had just happened. What he did know was there was now a giant Holland-shaped hole in his life.
He’d stopped living in thirty-minute increments months ago. But now, without any communication with Holland, every minute felt endless. He went back to coaching himself to make it through the next half-hour. Then the next one.
Life on the ranch during a brutal winter like this one wasn’t fun. Twenty-five men all cooped up together most of the time. Mud and muck everywhere. And to top it off, Elliott’s cabin mate had alienated most of the other cowboys, and some of them had started avoiding Elliott as well.
He sat behind the desk and managed the minimal chores needed to keep the animals alive and the ranch operational. Jace had the cowboys cleaning every available surface in every building on the ranch, but that work had run out already.
“Another movie day?” Archer asked when he walked in.
“It’s that or risk frostbite,” Elliott muttered. At this point, the frostbite would be better than staring at his silent phone and willing Holland to send him even one word.
Hey.
Hello.
She’s gone.
How are you?
Can you come down?
So he wanted more than one word from her. He wanted a whole lot more than one word.
Archer didn’t join the other cowboys loading up with popcorn and sodas from the kitchen. He pulled the nearest chair over and sat down. “What’s eating you?”
Elliott didn’t see any point in keeping it a secret. “Holland.”
“I thought you guys were great,” Archer said, twisting the wedding band on his left ring finger. “Last time we talked, you were going to propose just as soon as you could get down the canyon.”
Elliott started nodding, his brain knocking around inside his head. “Her sister came to town.”
“So?”
“So…she’s freaked out. She hasn’t answered any of my calls in days. She won’t text me back. I think she may have actually blocked my number.”
Archer frowned and squinted at him. “Why would she do that?”
“There’s some bad blood between her and Brenda.”
“Brenda Marsh?” Archer said the name with too much interest to be casual.
Elliott glanced up from his dark phone screen. “Yeah. You know her?”
His best friend cleared his throat. “No, I don’t know her. I know of her.”
“She’s been in town for four days.”
“And she moves fast, apparently.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means she’s got herself a boyfriend—or two—already.”
Elliott didn’t know what to think of that. He wondered how Holland was weathering all of this, and he really needed to talk to her. The urge to call her hit him right in the throat, making it impossible to swallow.
“Do you think I’d be missed today?” he asked, glancing over his shoulder to the wall where the movie played.
“Not even a little,” Archer said. “Jace has the chores on rotation. We’ll be fine.” He stood and stretched. “Where are you goin’?”
“I’ve got to go see Holland.”
Archer nodded, and Elliott headed out to get his keys. The canyon wasn’t too terrible, and he made it to the valley in one piece, no prayers needed. Holland worked in patient’s homes, so he had no idea where to find her. With her on radio silence, his only other choice was her cousin.
He found Cecil in the produce department at the supermarket, a cheerful smile on his face. At least until he saw Elliott.
“Hey,” Cecil said, continuing to mound avocadoes. “I know why you’re here.”
“How is she? She won’t talk to me. I don’t even know what I did.”
“It’s not you.” Cecil sighed. “She’s trying to protect you.”
“From Brenda.”
Cecil nodded. “That woman is…not nice.”
“You’re letting her stay with you?”
“I told her she could stay for a week.”
Three more days. Could Elliott survive for three more days without Holland in his life? He wasn’t sure why he was reacting this way. He’d spent weeks sequestered up at ranch—but he’d had Holland only a text away.
This new distance between them felt too wide, too deep, to cross.
He sighed and glanced around like the apples and oranges would be able to help him. “So I just—what? Go back up to the ranch and wait for Brenda to leave town?”
Cecil shrugged. “That’s one way to do it.”
Elliott didn’t like that option. He wanted the world to know he was Holland’s and she was his. Even her sister. Especially her sister.
“Will she be home tonight?” Elliott asked.
“I don’t have her schedule memorized,” Cecil said with a wry smile. “But yes, I believe her night patients were last night.”
Elliott nodded and turned toward the exit. “Thanks, Cecil.”
“Might want to lose the cowboy hat,” he called after Elliott.
Elliott twisted back to the other man. “Why?”
“I’ve heard Brenda say she really likes a man in a cowboy hat. Could throw her off your scent.”
“Thanks.” Elliott pushed his hat further on his head. He didn’t want to make himself unattractive to Brenda. He wanted to show her that he, cowboy hat and all, was in love with her sister, and that Brenda had absolutely no chance of changing that.
Chapter Twelve
Holland groaned as she massaged her neck, rotating it to the left and then the right. It had been an incredibly difficult four days, and she couldn’t wait until Brenda left. Cecil had graciously said she could stay for a week, but it felt like she’d been in town for a year already.
As long as she doesn’t find out about Elliott, Holland told herself for the umpteenth time. She kept her phone on silent all the time and constantly erased his text messages without responding to them. Hopefully he would understand. In three days, she’d make him understand.
When she pulled up to the house, both Cecil’s and Brenda’s cars were already there. His Hurry home for dinner text made so much more sense now. Holland wondered if her sister knew that she made everyone around her uncomfortable.
Probably. She probably did it on purpose.
Holland knew she didn’t do anything without careful thought, and she really wanted to know what Brenda was doing in Gold Valley. She’d never shown interest in coming to Montana previously. She’d even sneered at Holland once she’d found out Holland had come to Gold Valley to start fresh, like the town itself was beneath her.
She pushed into the house and said, “Hey, Cecil.”
The relief on his face would’ve been comical if it wasn’t Brenda causing all the turmoil. She glanced over from her seated position at the bar, and Holland looked away as she dropped her keys into her purse.
Then Elliott rose from the couch, only steps from her. “Hey, beautiful,” he said, very clearly and definitely loud enough for Brenda to hear.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, her heart thumping like wild horse’s hooves. She glanced at Cecil, who wore a halfway sympathetic expression on his face. He’d told her not to hide Elliott from Brenda, but Holland didn’t trust—
She cut off the thought, because it was too painful to let it continue to completion. She wasn’t sure if she didn’t trust herself or she didn’t trust Elliott, but neither prospect brought much comfort.
“I miss you,” he said much quieter. He came around the couch and gathered her into his arms. She went because he was Elliott Hawthorne and she loved him. But she stiffened after only two breaths of his wonderful cologne.
“So he spoke the truth.” Brenda’s words dripped with poisoned honey. “He said he was your boyfriend, but I didn’t really believe him.” She tiptoed two blood-red fingernails up the zipper on Elliott’s jacket.
“Why wouldn’t you believe me?” he asked.
“She just…doesn’t seem your type.” She sized up Holland and definitely found her lacking for the handsome cowboy.
“She’s my type.” He put an arm protectively around her, but Holland wished he wasn’t here at all. Didn’t he understand that Brenda liked a challenge? Thrived on it?
“Dinner’s ready,” Cecil announced, and Brenda turned back to the kitchen.
“I want to support you in this.” Elliott’s heated breath touched her neck as he whispered in her ear. “Don’t make me go, okay?” He stepped away and clapped his hands, proclaiming, “You are the best cook in town, Cecil.”
Brenda rolled her eyes and zeroed in on Holland, a clear message in her expression. You lied to me. Said you weren’t dating anyone.
Which Holland had done. She’d been praying to know how to get rid of Brenda for days, what to say to her, all of it. God hadn’t been extremely forthcoming, and Holland hoped everything wasn’t about to blow up.
“So how serious are you two?” she asked as soon as grace was finished.
“Serious,” Elliott said while Holland couldn’t seem to formulate an answer of any kind. It seemed impossible that he wasn’t afraid of Brenda, but he sure didn’t seem to be.
Holland’s hand froze with a piece of chicken picatta halfway to her mouth. Why was she afraid of Brenda? Why had she given her that power? The power to duck into closets in the hospital. The power to leave her sister’s bedside during a difficult emotional time. The power to hide her own boyfriend.
“Hopefully diamond serious,” Holland said, giving Elliott a meaningful look.
His cheeks colored and he focused on his food. “Oh, that’s comin’.”
“When?” Brenda asked, practically salivating at all this juicy gossip. She hadn’t even touched her food.
It just so happened that Holland would like to know when too, so she just cut another bite and watched Elliott.
“You know, Cecil, I think coming over here tonight was a bad idea.” He grinned good-naturedly though, and his gaze caught hers for a brief moment before he glanced down. “So, Brenda, why are you in town?” he asked, deftly changing the subject without providing an answer about the diamond.
She pouted, which usually turned men to putty in her hands. Holland had a hard time keeping her expression neutral.
“My boyfriend broke up with me,” she said, the hint of emotion in her voice. “I just couldn’t stay in town.”
“Too bad,” Elliott said, making it sound like he really thought so. “Where are you headed?”
“I might just stay here,” she said.
“No,” Holland said at the same time Cecil blurted, “No, Brenda. One week, remember?” At least her cousin was solidly on Holland’s side. She’d texted both Lisa and her mother to find out what Brenda wanted in Gold Valley. If Holland could give her what she wanted, she’d leave.
But neither of them had known. Lisa had left for California before the break-up, and her mom hadn’t even known Brenda wasn’t in Idaho Falls anymore. It had only taken a few texts and a few minutes to confirm that she and Jordan had indeed broken up.
“I’ll get my own place, Cecil,” Brenda said acidly. “Calm down.”
“You’re not staying here,” Holland said.
“You don’t own Gold Valley.” Brenda trilled out a laugh.
Holland put down her fork and leaned forward. “Yes, I do, Brenda. I came here to start my life again after you ruined it. This is my town, and you are not staying here.”
She’d never stood up to her younger sister this way, and the way Brenda’s eyes narrowed proved it. Vaguely, she felt Elliott’s hand cover hers, heard him say something in his beautiful bass voice. But she didn’t look away from her sister. In this battle over Gold Valley, she was going to win.
The next thing she knew, Elliott was towing her down the hall and into her bedroom. “What?” she tried, but he put his forefinger on her lips.
“Just listen to me,” he said in a barely audible voice. “Please, Holland. Just listen for a second.”
She nodded, stunned into silence by the urgency in his eyes.
“You’re giving her exactly what she wants,” he said. “A fight. Who cares if she lives here?”
“I care,” Holland said. Emotions—all the negative ones she’d stuffed into the back of her soul when she’d left Idaho Falls—came rushing forward. “You don’t understand what she’s like. I just can’t have her living here. I can’t stand the thought of running into her at the grocery store, or seeing her when we’re getting waffles.” She swiped at the tears streaming down her face. “I can’t, Elliott.”
“Sweetheart.” He gathered her into his chest, right where she fit and always wanted to be. “You’re not seein’ the whole picture. Sometimes we can’t see around the bend. But then we get to that part of the road, and everything makes sense.”
“I don’t understand.” She held onto him tightly, trying to draw strength from him.
“You know why she’s here, right?” he asked.
“No.” The helplessness in Holland felt all-encompassing, close to drowning her.
“She wants to see if you managed to find happiness after what she did to you.” He stepped back and gazed at her with those gorgeous eyes. He held her by her shoulders. “So show her that you did. With me. That we’re happy together.”
“She’ll steal you from me.”
He smiled a soft smile and shook his head. “Not gonna happen. She’s desperate to know she can
find happiness again. And, I think…I think she wants to make things right between the two of you. She knows she can’t be happy until she does.”
Holland didn’t want to give her that satisfaction. At the same time, she desperately wanted to let go of the lead balloons that had been weighing her down for so long.
“Holland.” Elliott tipped her chin up, forcing her to look at him. “I love you.” He kissed her, slow and soft and sweet. She could lose herself to him—she already had. She broke the connection between them sooner than she would’ve liked, overcome with love for him.
“Thank you,” she breathed, starting to feel more like herself than she had since Brenda had shown up on the front doorstep.
“C’mon,” he said. “Let’s go show her what happiness looks like.” He slung his arm over her shoulder and went with her back down the hall.
Holland straightened and didn’t allow herself to wither under Brenda’s scrutiny. “Brenda,” she said calmly. “This is Elliott Hawthorne. He’s my boyfriend.”
His fingers tightened on her upper arm, and his lips skated across her temple. “Now that we have that all established, let’s see what Cecil made for dessert.”
“Donut holes.” He pushed away from the table and practically ran into the kitchen. Elliott followed, leaving Brenda and Holland alone on the other side of the counter. Holland stared at her sister, angry at herself for letting her sister dictate her life for the past year.
She turned away and moved into the living room. Brenda followed with the question, “How long have you been dating him?”
“Four or five months,” Holland said.
“And you love him?”
Holland sighed, the twitch of a smile playing with her mouth. “It was love at first sight.” She crossed her legs and watched Brenda sink into the armchair across from her. “What happened with you and Jordan?”
She waggled her fingers. “Oh, you know.”
“No, I don’t know.”
Brenda sobered and met Holland’s eye. “He was guilt-ridden over what we’d done to you. Happy now?”
“A little, yeah,” Holland said. “Did he cheat on you?”
