Chapter 9
“Thanks again for dinner,” Luke said, tossing a napkin onto his empty plate. It had been a long time since he’d let someone else catch the bill, especially at The Steakhouse, but heaven knew the Kellers weren’t hurting for money any more than he was.
“Anytime,” Jason said as he signed the check. “Just wanted to thank you guys for your hospitality.”
“Wait,” Taylor said. “Are you actually implying that this guy knows how to be hospitable?”
Luke shook his head. “I know better than you do, curly.”
Taylor sucked down the rest of his drink as he came to a stand. “Doesn’t sound like you’re being too hospitable to Payton. Already, she said I was the nicer one.”
Luke rolled his eyes.
“She also said I was the better-looking one,” Taylor added while puffing his shirt.
“Now I know you’re lying,” Luke said with a grin. But he couldn’t help but think back on his conversation with Payton for the millionth time that day. Sure, he could’ve been nicer. But the woman acted so entitled, he could hardly resist putting her in her place. “Try getting yanked out of bed in the middle of the night by her—see how pleasant you are then.”
Taylor grinned. “If Payton Keller came to my door in the middle of the night, I can guarantee I’d treat her very, very well.”
“Hey, now …” Jason grabbed the to-go salad he’d ordered for her and came to a stand. “She’s engaged, you know? Not that I’d mind trading either of you for her fiancé.”
The mere mention of Luke trading places with Payton Keller’s fiancé did something to his insides. Jason’s sister might have driven him mad the night before, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t attracted to her. Not only was she easy on the eyes; the stubborn redhead had a feisty side he was drawn to.
Taylor nearly ran into a chair as they weaved through the crowded restaurant. “Really? You don’t like the Ken Doll?”
Jason shook his head. “Not really.”
Luke didn’t like hearing that. Had his sister settled on a man who wasn’t good to her? Perhaps the guy was simply bullheaded like Payton. Don’t worry about it, Luke. Since when do you care?
“Well, who knows if the marriage will even happen?” Taylor said. “I mean, how many Hollywood engagements actually make it to the aisle?”
Luke led the way to the exit with the shake of his head. He held the door once they got there, motioning for Jason to go first. As Taylor exited behind him, Luke thumped him on the back of the head. “What the crud’s the matter with you?”
“What do you mean?” his brother hissed.
“First the bed comment, then the whole marriage thing? Geez, you basically just told him any relationship he has is destined to fail.”
“He’s not in Hollywood anymore.”
Jason leaned against the log banister out front, a furrow along his brow as he looked over the land. “I didn’t take it personally. Why do you think I want out?”
Luke couldn’t help but feel for him. Jason had shown a lot of persistence since working for Luke, but could he really withstand the pressures from home now that they’d flown all the way to Montana on a multimillion-dollar jet?
Luke pressed the key to unlock the Mustang, and two sharp beeps sounded over the lot.
“Oh, sure,” Taylor said, shuffling toward his beat-up truck. “Drive the Mustang.”
Luke chuckled and gave him a wave. “See you later, brother.” Jason climbed in the passenger side as Luke settled behind the wheel.
Luke roared up the Mustang. Forget the purr of an engine; this baby growled like a panther ready to strike. “So why does your sister actually think she can talk you into going home?”
“Because Payton usually gets her way,” Jason said, clicking his seat belt in place. “I’m not kidding. I think my sister can guilt people into doing what she thinks is best for the family, or for the image of our family, since the two are inseparable in her mind.” Jason shook his head, gazing at the side-view mirror out his window—a fading view of the small town in their wake. “I swear she puts appearances over happiness.”
So was that what her engagement was all about—marriage for appearances sake?
“That’s all fine and good for her,” Jason said. “I just want her to leave me out of it and let me live my life.”
The sun, already setting in the west, was bright enough to blind an eagle. Luke slid on a pair of sunglasses and flipped down the visor. “She sounds tormented, if you ask me.” He was no better than his younger brother with a comment like that, but he couldn’t hold it back. Perhaps he’d seen a spark of kindness in the woman’s eyes last night. Felt an ache in his gut when he considered her fierce need to control the goings-on around her. As spoiled as Payton might seem, Luke sensed it came from a good place; she thought she was helping, not hindering.
Still, the fact was, Luke had learned the hard way that people were in charge of their own decisions.
Just what would it take for Jason’s stubborn sister to learn that same thing?
Payton stared at the keyboard, wondering if her search had been thorough enough. Roz would have her knee-highs all up in a bunch if she knew Payton was hiding something so potentially damaging about Archie, especially if picture proof hit the tabloids before she had any warning.
Just what would Roz do once she heard about the affair?
Affair—the mere word caused nausea to rise up again. It was too hideous and painful. And there was still the slight chance that it wasn’t even true. No, there isn’t, Payton. You’re fooling yourself.
She closed the laptop, satisfied that—at least for now—no one from the press had caught California’s Ken Doll with No-Name Barbie. She glanced around the empty kitchen as she came to a stand, and headed toward the bedrooms. She skipped past Jason’s and stepped back into the room she’d slept in the night before, Doug’s room. Payton tried to deny her reason for doing so, but as she strode directly toward the bronze frame on the bedside table, picked it up, and looked at the picture inside, she knew what led her back to the room. The man in the photo. The one who’d caused her to fantasize about some guy she’d never met. To somehow imagine that he was beyond wronging her the way Archie had.
Would the picture have the same effect on her now?
Broad smile. Kind eyes. And a love for the kid at his side. Yes. And if it were only an illusion, Payton didn’t want to lose it. Something about this man gave her hope. There were good men out there. Decent men. And whether the one who’d captured her attention fit into that category or not, she would choose to believe that he did. She’d choose to have hope. Heck, maybe she’d even stick around until Doug returned. They did say he’d return, didn’t they?
Foolish. Stop it, Payton, this is ridiculous.
She straightened her shoulders, set the frame back on the night table, and slowly made her way back to the kitchen. May as well see what kind of dinner she could round up here. Not that she had much of an appetite. Hopefully this guy kept more on hand than eggs and his latest kill. She pictured a freezer full of paper-wrapped elk meat, like she’d seen at her childhood friend’s house. Luke seemed like the type to stomp around with a gun and shoot animals.
The back door creaked, and Jason’s voice spilled from the mudroom where the incubator was. It was his laugh, actually. “I can’t imagine that,” he breathed. “Holding on to that bull for dear life, only to have it flick you off like a fly in front of an entire crowd.”
The next laugh that came wasn’t from Jason. “Oh man, it’s such a rush.”
The men entered the dining room, both dressed in denim and tees, cowboy hats resting on their heads. Payton blinked as she took in the handsome sight. They looked as if they’d walked right off a movie set. Two very good-looking movie stars ready for their next scene. Of course, admitting her brother was attractive came easy. Payton had always been able to see that. Admitting his rude boss was even more attractive than she’d realized wasn’t so easy. But th
at didn’t make it untrue.
“Hey,” Jason said, walking to where Payton stood beside the dining table. He rested a to-go box beside her laptop. “We got you a salad.”
Thank heavens! Wait, did he say we? She lifted a brow, glancing at Luke before setting her gaze back on her brother. “Thank you,” she said, feeling relieved to have him back. She threw her arms around him and sighed. “I missed you. I mean, I’ve been missing you this whole time since you’ve been gone.” Payton stepped back and shrugged. “All of us have.”
Jason nodded. “Yeah. I’ve missed you guys too.”
Luke walked into the kitchen, his boots marking each step until he opened a drawer. “Here.” He slid a fork across the granite countertop, then opened the cupboard beside him. “What would you like to drink?”
Wait, wasn’t she supposed to be the one killing him with kindness? At least, that was the plan she’d come up with.
Payton tilted her head. There was something familiar in his eyes as he asked it. Probably the look she’d seen on him before he realized who she was the night before. She cleared her throat. “Water’s good. Thank you.”
He pulled down what reminded Payton of her father’s whiskey glasses. A quick trip to the fridge where he filled it up with ice and retrieved a water bottle, and Luke was headed toward her once more. “There you are,” he said. “Enjoy. I’ll give you guys some time to catch up.”
That might be well and good if Payton didn’t have an objective in this whole trip to Montana. She hadn’t come for a visit with her long-lost brother; she’d come to retrieve him. And that would take effort on her part. Effort geared toward the man who could end this all with the wave of his magic lasso.
“No, you don’t have to do that.” Payton patted the table. “Why don’t you guys keep me company while I eat? I was hoping to get to know a little more about you, Luke.” She opened the box and grabbed the small container of dressing tucked inside. With her focus at her periphery, she poured the Italian dressing over the mixed greens. She couldn’t wait to see if Luke would take her up on her offer.
A smile tugged at the corner of her lips as he spun around, stood in place for a blink, then strode back toward the table. With Payton at the head of the table, probably where Luke usually sat, her brother took the seat to her left. Rather than circling the table to sit at her right, Luke opted for the chair beside Jason. Farther from her.
Payton stabbed the prongs into a cherry tomato, dressing glistening off the bright red skin. “So tell me how you ended up with a place like this. Did you inherit the property and just … build on it?” She set her eyes on Luke, attempting to summon the irritation he’d caused her the night before. He was the enemy. And the only way to defeat the enemy was to get to know them.
“I bought neighboring property,” he said. “Ranching’s a family business, but chances are Taylor will inherit my dad’s land, and I didn’t want to take anything from him.”
Just how in the world did he get money to buy his own land and build such a nice place on it too? But she’d save that question for later. Luke had just shared something Payton could use. “It sounds like family traditions are important in your home. That’s nice that both you and your brother will carry on your father’s legacy. I bet he’s really proud of you.” She glanced at Jason in time to see him roll his eyes.
Luke nodded. “He is, but no more proud of us than he is my sister Camille, who chose to follow her passion as a painter. She lives in Italy. He’s also real proud of my brother Ross, who’s a carpenter.” Luke fixed his deep green eyes on her, his expression posing a challenge.
“Hmm … that’s nice. But what if none of you would have chosen to do what he did? Don’t you think your dad would’ve been heartbroken?”
“Possibly. But if he felt that way, he’d never let on. I’ve known—ever since I was just a boy—that what I wanted to do with my life was solely up to me. And that if I was happy, and not hurting anyone else, they’d be happy for me. Both of my folks.”
Jason, who’d been watching Luke as he spoke, nodded as he moved his gaze back to Payton.
Irritation kindled in her chest. Luke was suggesting that his parents were better than hers. That they were more evolved or free-loving or … whatever. And was Jason agreeing? “I have good parents too. Jason and I do, I mean. And they only want what’s best for us.”
“Are you sure about that?” Luke had the nerve to ask.
Jason’s eyes widened.
Payton wanted to wipe that challenging smirk off Luke’s masculine and way-too-perfect face. “Yes, I’m sure. And Jason,” she said, narrowing her gaze at him, “you better not say anything different. My dad’s putting him through school.”
“Yeah, if Jason does what he wants him to do.”
Payton’s mouth hung open as she moved her gaze from her brother to Luke, then back to Jason once more. “Jason …” she said, her tone more whiny than she’d hoped.
“It’s true, Payton,” Jason said. “This is what I’ve been saying to you guys the last four years of my life.”
Luke shoved his chair away from the table. “Listen, this really isn’t my battle,” he said, stepping around the chair before scooting it back beneath the table. “I’m not one for forcing people to live their lives the way I want them to. Sorry if that offends you.”
“Actually …” Payton said, shooting to a stand. She took one quick sidestep to where she stood directly before the cowboy. Heat radiated off the man’s impressive stature. The masculine scent of aftershave coated the air she inhaled. Her heart skipped a beat or two, but she refused to be intimidated by his good looks and seriously yummy scent. “I just want my brother to be happy. Sorry if that offends you.”
“Happy according to who?”
Payton didn’t exactly get his question. “Huh?”
Luke cleared his throat. “Happy according to who? Have you bothered to ask if he’s happy doing what he’s doing now? I mean, think about it. Why would he want to stay if he wasn’t?”
“Life’s not that simple.” She took a step back, distracted by something she’d seen in his eyes. It was that hint of familiarity once more. She’d looked into a lot of eyes in her lifetime, but Payton couldn’t remember being so drawn in.
Green. They were just green, for crying out loud. But they were different, too. Mysterious. Rimmed in an ashy gray and accented by deep, forest-like shadows. Shadows that hid layers of the man she might never discover. The odd thing was, she did want to discover those layers. Very badly.
She gulped.
“I’m listening,” he assured. “Life isn’t that simple. Why not? Because people like you complicate it?”
“No, as a matter of fact, people like me are the ones trying to keep everyone together while nearly the entire world falls apart around them.” Oh no, the waterworks were coming. She sniffed and blinked her eyes, fighting back emotions that went far beyond their discussion.
Suddenly Jason was off his chair and standing beside Luke. “It’s okay, Payton,” he said. “We don’t need to involve Luke in all of this.”
But they did need to. Jason’s boss needed to know what kind of damage he was causing. “Luke,” she said, getting ahold of herself. “When you’re in the public eye, you have a team of people to worry about. Everything Jason does affects not only his image, but also mine, my mother’s, and my father’s too. We have a band of people who make it their job to ensure we maintain the hard-earned Keller image of high standards, family values, and tradition. We can’t simply let him tarnish—”
“Tarnish?” Jason shook his head and turned away from her. And suddenly he was striding right toward the mudroom door. “I gotta get out of here.”
The door creaked open, then closed.
Silence ticked on as Payton dropped her gaze. Part of her wanted to crumple into a heap on the floor and cry. The other part wanted to fight for what she’d come for.
“That’s a lot of pressure for the kid,” Luke said.
The
tenderness in his voice had her weak side winning out. And Payton couldn’t let that happen.
She shrugged. “He was born with it. He can deal.” She snatched the salad off the table, stepped around Luke, and headed toward the spare bedrooms.
“Did you ever think that that’s exactly why he’s here?”
Payton stopped in her tracks, but didn’t bother turning to look over her shoulder as he continued.
“He’s not off getting wasted or shooting up in some gutter, Payton. That’s how some people deal, as you say. You should be glad he’s not doing that.”
She didn’t have a response. Yet even as she tried to think of one, Luke spoke up once more.
“Feel free to stay as long as you’d like. But make it worthwhile, why don’t you? Go spend a day with him out on the field. See what it is he does. You say you care about him so much. Prove it.” And with that, Luke strode out.
Chapter 10
Talk about torment.
Luke closed his eyes as the shower stream poured over his head. He related to Payton Keller’s urgency. To her desperation to somehow save a person from themselves. The trouble was, Payton wasn’t seeing straight. If you asked Luke, the only real threat was having the kid go back to the life he was desperate to escape.
The water was hot, the bathroom filled with steam, but none of that stopped the chill that snuck under his skin. Just thinking of how horribly wrong things had gone with Elizabeth Clemmons so many years ago made his heart sick. His failed attempts to help her. At least she lived through it, Luke. Lizzy may have tried to take her own life, but her attempt—just like his efforts to prevent it—had failed.
Luke let his mind trudge further into that dark, unforgotten place as he dabbed shaving cream along the underside of his jaw and neck. He dragged the razor over the short, coarse growth, wondering if he’d ever stop being haunted by that part of his past. Counseling had done him a lot of good, but his time in the barn was what kept him alive. Thank heavens his parents had let him be. For all they knew, he was wasting hour upon hour away from early morning to late night. In reality, he was healing. And developing a million-dollar contraption that got him where he was today.
This Cowboy's a Keeper (Unlikely Cowgirl Book 3) Page 5
