by Lane, Soraya
"As far as I'm concerned you're both all grown up now. You want to let Scott break your heart, then that's your call. And I know for a fact that the party phase was just that, a phase. He’s hardly going to lure you into a bad scene now."
Who said he was going to break her heart? "Is it so bad to be attracted to the bad boy?" For a girl who'd always played by the rules and dated clean-cut kinds of guys, it was a question she needed to ask herself.
"Bad boys are bad for a reason, and it’s usually because someone’s hurt them. Maybe in the end they just need the right woman to make them happy."
"Is that you or your happy pregnancy hormones talking?" Amanda asked with a laugh, even though she wanted to believe what her sister was saying.
"Hey, it's either that or those kind of men are put on this planet to have fun with. Either way, just make sure you don't fall too deep, okay? I love Scott, but he's a love ‘em and leave ‘em type, we all know that."
"I have no intention of falling for anyone," she told her, linking their arms and turning to walk back out into the hall. "But I have every intention of eating a massive slice of mom's chocolate cake."
They both laughed and walked down the stairs, still arm in arm.
"Maddie, are you happy with Jack? I mean, really happy?"
Her sister's contented sigh made her smile. She shouldn't have bothered asking - it was obvious Maddison had finally figured out what, or who, made her happy.
"Two years ago, I looked like I had the perfect life. I was planning my wedding to another man and getting ready to start a family. If anyone had told me that I'd end up living back in Montana, married and pregnant to my childhood best friend, I'd have laughed my head off."
"And now that it's happened?"
Maddison stopped and looked her straight in the eyes. "Now I'm happier than I've ever been in my life, because I stopped overthinking everything and just let life happen for once. And that's what I want for you. If you want to have a crazy affair with Scott and see where it leads, then I'm the one person in this family who'll never tell you not to. Because who knows what could happen?"
"You know you're the perfect big sister, right?"
Maddie laughed at her. "Funny, but I don't ever recall you telling me that when we used to live under this roof together."
They headed for the dining room again, their conversation forgotten as they walked straight into a heated debate between the men seated around the table. Amanda had no idea who was right, but from the look Scott gave her as Blake and Jack argued about whether or not organic ranching was the way of the future, she was ready to side with him no matter what his opinion was.
CHAPTER FOUR
THE sun was beating down on Amanda's shoulders as she walked across the field, and even though it was only late morning it was hot enough that she wished she'd worn a hat. She'd already been walking for half an hour, and she found herself standing at the edge of Wild River, gazing at the parched yellow grass of the Gregory's ranch.
Her feet had sent her toward Scott, but her mind was screaming at her to turn straight back around and head for home.
Screw it. She was home to be with her family and see old friends, which meant there was nothing wrong with heading over to say hello. And besides, if she chickened out she could always pretend like she was visiting her sister.
Maddison. The irony of her sister marrying a Gregory wasn't lost on her. Or the fact that she'd come back to the ranch under similar circumstances and found herself falling for a boy from her past. Amanda climbed the wooden gate that separated their two properties, wondering if Maddison had done the exact same thing when she realized she was having feelings for Jack.
She started walking again, telling herself that it was a good workout. There were no local gyms around here, so she was going to have to become more adventurous with her daily workouts.
She didn’t see any animals on the path she was taking across the pasture, but she kept an eye out just in case. Just her luck she'd end up infuriating an angry bull and find herself tossed back over the gate she'd just climbed. Her sisters had some kind of intuition about ranching and stock, but it wasn't something she'd managed to inherit.
The rumble of a truck made her look across the field, and she raised her hand when the driver tooted. She squinted, trying to make out who it was. As he came closer, she recognized the dog in the passenger seat and realized it had to be Jack.
He pulled up beside her, the passenger window down and Rosa with her head hanging out the window, tongue out and smiling as only a dog can.
"Hey girl," Amanda said, leaning in to give her a smooch. "You're looking a little grey these days."
"Age is catching up with all of us," Jack said with a grin. "You need a lift?"
Amanda gave Rosa one more scratch before answering Jack's question. "I was just taking a walk and ended up over here."
"You looking for your sister or my brother?"
She couldn't help but smile back at him, trying not to laugh at the cheeky as hell expression on his face. "Maybe I was looking for my charming brother-in-law. Did you ever consider that?"
He leaned across and pushed open the door. "Jump in. I'd pretend to be flattered, but I know a ruse when I see one."
Amanda pushed Rosa over to make room and shut the door, smiling as the old dog dropped her head into her lap and made herself comfortable. "Maddie tells me that you're making some changes around here."
Jack was only driving slow, one hand on the wheel as they bumped across the field. "I've been wanting to ranch organically for years, but my old man thought it was a load of rubbish," he told her. "Then Scott came back and had other ideas for what he wanted to do, so we're both getting our own way by letting the other do what he wants."
"You're not wishing you'd kept the place to yourself?" Amanda asked, stroking Rosa's head. Scott hadn't been left a penny when old man Gregory had died, but she knew that Jack had divided all his inheritance with his brother to finally set things right in their family. "You could have been ranching organically and doing everything your way without making any compromises."
"Yeah, but I'd have a brother living on the other side of the world, and I'd have always known that I didn't do the right thing. My mom would have been heartbroken over the way Scott was treated after she died, so this was my way of making up for all that."
"So tell me what ideas this crazy brother of yours has cooked up." Amanda asked.
"I'll let you see for yourself. I'm not complaining, because it's going to bring in some much needed cash flow, and he's pretty excited about what he has planned."
Jack sped up as the land leveled out more, and she could see a structure in the distance, just lumber framing from what she could make out. She stayed silent as they approached, glancing at Jack when he stopped the vehicle.
"I have to keep going, but if you change your mind about hanging out with Scott, Maddie's up at the house and she'd love to see you."
"Thanks for the lift," Amanda said as she jumped from the truck.
She waited for Jack to drive off and held up her hand, shielding her face from the sun as she surveyed the construction happening in front of her. Was he building himself a house? If he was, it was massive. There were guys working - hammering and fixing the framing - and she had no idea where she'd find Scott.
A wolf-whistle made her raise her eyes, looking at the builders. One hard hat in particular caught her eye, as did the snug fitting white t-shirt of the body wearing it. Scott?
"Hey beautiful," he called out.
Definitely Scott. "What are you doing up there?" she called back.
"Keeping myself out of trouble," he replied, before putting down his hammer, coming down the nearby ladder and landing on the ground with a thud. "I did a bit of construction work when I first left here, so I’m doing what I can to help out."
She tried to keep her eyes on his as he strode closer, but everything else about him was distracting enough to command her attention. His heavily muscled
arms were golden brown from being outside, and the smudges on the fabric that spread across his chest had her itching to brush them away. Or at least pretend to brush them away.
"Can you tell me what you're building or is it a highly classified secret?" she asked.
"Join me for a drink and I'll tell you all about it," he said with a wink.
Amanda raised her eyebrows. "This time of the morning?"
He laughed. "I'm hot and sweaty, so I was just thinking juice. But if you'd rather crack into a beer, then I wouldn't say no."
She stared at him, trying not to laugh. For some reason, when he was around all she seemed to do was either grin back at him or laugh, and she liked it. "Juice it is then."
Amanda followed him to what looked like a converted shipping container, no doubt a makeshift office of sorts for the builders so they could get out of the sun and do paperwork if they needed to. She stepped in, eyes adjusting to the lack of light, until Scott switched on the single bulb hanging from the ceiling.
"Just let me take these out to the guys," he said, holding up bottles of juice. "They'll kill me if I have one without them."
She reached into the temporary fridge and took out juices for them, but instead of pulling out a fold-up chair and waiting for Scott, she spied blueprints on the small table in the corner. Amanda couldn't help herself. She put down the drinks and spread the plans out to make looking at them easier, eyes wide as she flipped through the extensive drawings.
"Like what you see?"
Scott's deep voice jolted her from her thoughts, her heart racing when he stood behind her, so close that she could feel the heat from his body hitting hers. He leaned forward to turn the page, his upper arm brushing across hers. Amanda knew she was holding her breath but she couldn't help it.
"I take it this isn't a house for you," she forced herself to say.
Scott's deep chuckle made her smile. "No. Not a house for me. It's going to be luxury tourist accommodation. My place is going to be closer to the main ranch."
Amanda laughed, liking that it made her body rock closer to Scott's. "Please tell me you're not turning this place into a dude ranch."
He flipped another page, leaning in even closer this time, his thighs brushing her butt. He was a good head taller than she was when she was wearing flat shoes.
"I'm having four rooms, each with their own bathroom and big balcony doors facing out over the ranch," he said, voice low and close to her ear. "It's going to be pitched at people wanting a peaceful getaway from the world, somewhere tranquil to spend a weekend or a week. They can go horseback riding or walking, swim in the pool, or just chill in their room."
Amanda liked the sound of that - it was exactly the kind of retreat she needed. "When can I check in?"
He gave her a nudge and pointed to something on the plan. "See this?"
She nodded. "What is it?"
"It's going to be a custom built bath out under the stars. It'll be set every night with real wood, and that will burn beneath it to heat the water. Each guest room has one.”
Amanda gulped. Did he have any idea the effect he was having on her? "And will this be for guests or for your own personal entertainment."
Scott moved in a little closer, his voice low and husky. "You think I'm going to have gorgeous women lining up to bathe with me?"
She shut her eyes for a moment, beyond tempted by the sexy as hell man standing so close to her that she could just rock back and against his body, into his arms.
"I think you'll have no shortage of women lining up for a late night…"
"What?" he asked when her sentence trailed off.
Amanda knew he was teasing her. "Canoodle," she responded.
His deep laugh made her spin around to stare up at him, meeting his gaze. "I don't know about a late night canoodle, but I planned it more for the guests than me," he said, reaching out and smoothing away strands of her long hair to tuck behind her ear. "Although I'm sure I could be tempted to use it myself if the right woman happened to walk into my life."
She swallowed, looking into dark eyes flecked with gold. "What type of woman are you looking for?" she forced herself to ask.
His mouth kicked upward into a smile, dimple flashing. "Hmmm, maybe a blonde with brown eyes," he told her, hardly blinking as he stared at her. "Nice big smile, fun to hang out with, and someone who's always been forbidden is a big turn on. Don't you think?"
"Hey, sorry to interrupt boss, but we need you out here for a few minutes."
The shout of an unknown male voice broke the spell between them, but she still never took her eyes off Scott.
"Just a second," he called back, still facing her.
Amanda looked down, but Scott's hand cupped her chin and tilted her head back up.
"I have to go," he said, voice low. "But what do you say about dinner?"
She shook her head. "We have the funeral tomorrow, so I need to be with my family tonight," Amanda told him, wishing she could just say yes. But she was home to support her family, and she didn't want to leave her mom, not tonight. "How about I take a rain check for a couple of days?"
"No problem," he said, dropping his hand but not moving away. "I'll see you at the funeral tomorrow, okay?"
She nodded as he leaned in, lips brushing her cheek in a gentle kiss.
"Stay strong. It'll be a beautiful service, and afterward we can all celebrate a man who meant the world to so many people."
Amanda watched Scott as he walked backward, before turning and walking out the door.
He was right. They needed to celebrate her dad's life, because he'd been one of kindest, loving, hardworking men she'd ever met, and he deserved a good send off.
She touched her cheek where Scott had kissed her and smiled. Scott was a good man, too. No matter how much he liked people to think differently about him, there were a lot of qualities she'd loved in her dad that she bet she'd glimpse in Scott, too.
CHAPTER FIVE
SCOTT usually had a rule that he didn't attend funerals. When his mom had died, the funeral had been tough. As a boy, not having her tuck him in bed each night, remembering seeing her lifeless body… funerals brought all those memories crashing back, even after all these years.
His childhood had gone from happy and content, with a mom who'd do anything for him, to a bitter, quiet life with a father who hadn't deserved the title of dad. But today was about one of the few men in his life that he'd always respected, and there was no amount of excuses that would have ever made it okay for him not to turn up.
And then there was Amanda.
Scott didn't cry. Ever. He'd refused to shed another tear ever again when his father had scolded him for showing his weakness as a child, but seeing Amanda up there bravely reading a speech about her dad? It had been the first time as an adult that he'd had to stare at the ceiling and fight to keep his emotions in check.
Now the service had come to a close, and he was being summoned along with the other pallbearers to rise. He did as he was asked, joining his brother, Blake, and other men around the coffin to make the slow journey to the waiting vehicle. Scott touched Blake's shoulder, his hand firm over his suit jacket, hating seeing his friend's body shuddering as he sobbed.
It was then, as he helped to heft the coffin in the air, that he saw Amanda watching him. She was holding hands with her mom, her chin raised like she was trying so hard to be brave, to stay strong for her family. And when his eyes locked on hers, he wished he could hold her and take away the pain that he knew would be consuming her, suffocating her every breath as she watched her dad leave for the very last time.
Once the coffin was ready for its journey to the burial plot, Scott looked for Amanda in the gathered crowd. It had been a large service, with people spilling out of the church, but he spotted her straight away.
"Hey," he said, touching her elbow as he stopped to stand beside her.
Amanda's smile was warm but there were tears shining in her eyes. "Hey," she said back.
"You look beautiful," Scott told her, running his hand up and down her arm, not sure how to comfort her.
"I know I should probably have worn black, but when you said yesterday that today should be a celebration, I decided to wear this." Amanda fingered the yellow fabric of her dress, like she wasn't sure that it had been the best decision.
"I think he would have liked it. A ray of sunshine amongst a group of mourners," he said. "And I wasn't just saying it, you do look beautiful."
Amanda's face seemed to crumple the moment the words came out of his mouth, emotion taking over and making her suddenly sob out loud.
"Hey," he said, pulling her into his arms and holding her tight, rocking her body, one hand smoothing down her hair. "Come here.”
She shook her head against his shoulder, holding him back so tight it was like she was never going to let go. “I just can’t believe he’s gone. I can’t believe I’m never going to see him again.
"Shhhhh," he murmured, not wanting to go back in time, or have her feel sorry for him when this was about her dad. "I'll stand here all day if you need me to. You just take your time."
Amanda didn't step back, but her body seemed to relax into his embrace, like the tension was slowly draining from her. Scott dropped a kiss into her hair and stayed still, not moving.
"Everything okay here?"
Scott looked up to see Blake had come over, was watching them with a puzzled expression on his face.
"She's been so strong all day, but it all just became a bit much there," Scott said, his voice low. He didn't give a damn if Blake wanted to go all protective big brother over her - he was comforting a friend and he was the one ready to protect her. Nothing would have made him release his hold, except for Amanda telling him to back off, and she still hadn't moved.
"I think I can take it from here," Blake said, stepping closer.
He might have been his best friend growing up, but Scott didn't like being treated like he couldn't be trusted with Blake's sister. He wasn't doing anything inappropriate and they both knew it.
