No Getting Over You

by Shirleen Davies

  Holding up his hands, palms out, he took a step back. “Calm down, Cassie. No one is trying to sabotage you.”

  “Oh, right. That’s easy for you to say. You waltz in here after disappearing for years, and all of a sudden, you’re the golden boy, handed a promotion which vaults you above Sean, Skye, or even me. We’ve all been paying our dues. What the hell have you done?” Crossing her arms and planting her feet, she glared at him, daring him to explain.

  “I didn’t ask Heath for a job. He came to me. What would you have done?”

  Without missing a beat, she took a step toward him, stopping within inches of his face. “I would’ve realized I’d be jumping headfirst into a firestorm. Do you have any idea what it’s like to be in my position with the change? Of course you don’t. You’re still a selfish sonofabitch without a clue of how your actions affect others. It’s always all about Matt and what he wants. No one else matters, and no one gets in your way. Well, I have news for you, hotshot. Your job won’t be some easy ride where you can float to the top on Skye’s and my achievements. You damn well better show everyone how good you are or you’ll be out on your butt just like anyone else.” Her voice had hardened with each sentence until she’d gotten out the ball of frustration knotted inside her.

  The clear combination of anger, betrayal, and pain on her face hit Matt like a punch in the gut. He’d had his share of disappointments, knowing how it felt to be shoved aside.

  “Cassie…I—”

  “Save it, Matt. I’ll do the best I can, but it won’t be for you. My best will never be for your benefit ever again.” Turning, she froze at the sight of Heath, Jace, and Rafe standing in the doorway. Pushing past them, she didn’t explain further. She was certain they hadn’t missed a word.

  The brothers watched her retreat, then turned back to Matt.

  “Well, that went well,” Heath muttered, stepping into the room, his chest tightening. He knew Cassie wouldn’t be thrilled about the changes, but he never imagined the deep resentment, anger, and pure hostility she’d buried inside until hearing it for himself. Perhaps their brilliant plan to realign divisions, move family around, and bring Matt on weren’t as dazzling as they’d let themselves believe. He wasn’t prepared to lose Cassie over the changes.

  “What did we miss?” Jace asked, walking past Matt, who still stood frozen in place.

  “Uh…that was pretty much the heart of it. I’m an S.O.B., I’m out to get her fired, and I don’t give a damn about anyone except myself.” He glanced at Jace. “I think that covers it.” Scrubbing a hand down his face, Matt slumped into a nearby chair, resting his arms on his legs, and hanging his head.

  “Going into this, we knew some wouldn’t be happy with the changes. It’s a business decision and not meant to slight anyone, especially Cassie. She’s done a remarkable job with no training. Her gut instincts are extraordinary, her work ethic is as good as they come, and her ambition, well…we all know how competitive she can be.” Heath crossed his arms, resting a hip against the edge of his desk. “Except…”

  “No one considered she might walk out over this,” Matt supplied, his throat tightening at the raw emotions she’d directed at him. “I suppose I should go after her. Try to smooth things over.”

  “Forget it. What she needs now is space and time to adjust.” Heath pursed his lips, wondering if she would bend.

  “She believes we stabbed her in the back. Maybe we did.” Jace closed his eyes, conjuring up an image of Cassie as a little girl, running around, laughing, never letting anything get her down. Tonight, all he saw was a defeated woman who believed she’d been betrayed.

  Standing, Matt walked to the door. “You hired me to do a job and that’s what I’ll do. I don’t want to lose Cassie any more than the rest of you, and I’ll do all I can to make things up to her. That’s the best I can offer.” Closing the door behind him, he didn’t see the looks passing between the men at his parting words. All he could focus on was the hatred on her face and what he had to do to fix the damage he’d caused.

  Chapter Eleven

  Cold Creek, Colorado

  “I heard the meeting didn’t go so well.” Janie closed the door behind her, taking a seat in Cassie’s office.

  “I won’t ask how you found out, but no, it didn’t go well. At least not for me.” Cassie stared at her computer screen, trying to focus on the data in front of her. She’d honored her commitment to stay in Fire Mountain over the weekend, begging off most activities Heath suggested, including supper with him and Annie, knowing she wasn’t up to a quiet meal with just the three of them.

  Somewhere in the distant parts of her brain, she knew her actions were immature and had hurt her father. If her brother, Trey, were at the ranch, he would’ve lit into her big time. Instead, she did the best she could, accepting her father had been the one to betray her trust and set her up to fail. He knew being in touch with Matt daily and traveling with him would push her to resign. She had to assume that’s what he wanted. Now she had to make a decision to shove it back in his face or leave, as Heath planned.

  Getting on the plane the night before had allowed her the first amount of relief she’d felt since the bomb had been dropped.

  Cassie looked up at her friend. “I tapped on your bedroom door when I got home last night. Seems you were out.”

  A grin tipped up the corners of Janie’s mouth, recalling what she and Kurt were probably doing when Cassie got home. “I spent the night at Kurt’s.”

  “I figured as much.” A smile lit Cassie’s face, the first one she’d had since her explosive tirade aimed at Matt. It felt good to relax and enjoy Janie’s obvious happiness. “I’m so glad it’s working out between you two. Kurt’s a great guy.”

  “It’s so odd, but I feel as if I’ve known him all my life. I can say anything to him, be myself, and not worry about what he’ll think. We’re enough alike not to grate on each other, yet different enough to keep things interesting. Does that sound crazy?”

  “Not at all.” Cassie’s face clouded. She once had all those ideas about Matt. It often felt as if they knew each other’s thoughts, could anticipate each other’s needs and desires. The reality still stung. “Maybe he’s the one for you.”

  “Wouldn’t that be something? A firefighter in an out-of-the-way town in Colorado. My parents would have a fit.”

  “What do you mean?” In all the years she’d known Janie, Cassie heard little about her family, and had never met her parents. Most times, she would stay at school during breaks or go home with Cassie. When asked, Janie closed up, not offering much information. All Cassie knew was she was from Ohio and her parents had money. Lots of it.

  Janie bit her lower lip, wishing she’d kept quiet. “Nothing, except they believe I shouldn’t marry anyone who gets their hands dirty for a living.”

  “That leaves Sean out,” Cassie joked.

  “Sean?”

  “Mitch and Skye’s brother. You weren’t at Mitch’s wedding reception, but trust me. Sean is hot.”

  Janie burst out laughing. “You know you’re talking about your cousin, right?”

  “So? He can still be hot, can’t he?”

  “Absolutely.” Checking the time, Janie stood. “Guess I’d better get to work.” Her face sobered. “What are we going to do without Cam?”

  “Trust me. It’s all going to work out. Kade is taking over both bucking stock groups. He may not have much experience with bucking bulls, but neither did Cam when Heath sent him here to handle the bucking horse group.”

  Thinking more about it as Janie closed the door, Cassie admitted Kade had considerably more experience with horse stock than Cam. Also, if she were being honest, she conceded Matt had more experience and more rodeo contacts than she or Skye.

  Spurning most of the family’s invitations over the weekend had allowed her time to think through the changes, accept the reasons behind the moves were sound, and attempt to work through her issues. She’d thought of going to Kade, asking about report
ing directly to him, then discarded the idea, knowing her cousin would see it as a wimp move. Suck it up, kid, he’d say, then dismiss her, which would be embarrassing on so many levels. In truth, he’d have been right. She needed to pull her big girl pants up tight and move on.

  The anger she felt toward her father hurt the most. She’d worked hard, done all he’d asked, yet he wanted her out. The intense pain at his decision would take a long time to heal. She needed to make a decision about her future, and soon.

  Cradling her head in her hands, she let out a deep groan, knowing she was better than some whiny, weak female who couldn’t get over a lost love. MacLarens didn’t moan about setbacks or obstacles. They confronted them head-on, found a way around them, and kept going. And that’s just what she’d do. No one needed to know if she began to send out résumés, confidentially inquiring about other jobs. Perhaps something away from Arizona and outside the ranch and rodeo industries. A clean break where her father and ex-boyfriend could no longer hurt her. The last gave her the first smidgeon of hope about her future since the announcements.

  Feeling better, she opened an old résumé and began to read through it. Jotting down notes, she picked up her phone on the first ring, not taking the time to check the caller ID.

  “Hey, Cassie, it’s Matt. Kade and I are flying to Cold Creek tomorrow.”

  Staring at the phone, she let out a low groan.

  ******

  Houston, Texas

  “Good morning. I assume you had an uneventful trip.” Gage extended his hand, grasping Ivan’s in a firm grip.

  “Ah, yes. Pleasant and short.” He’d left El Paso, touching down in Houston less than two hours later.

  “As you can see, the newest delivery is being unloaded. Care to inspect the cattle with me?”

  Ivan walked alongside Gage as they made their way to the stockyards, hearing the unmistakable sounds of bawling cattle.

  “Gonzo, you remember Ivan Santiago.” Gage stopped next to his stock manager, Eddie Gonzalez, waiting as the two exchanged greetings. “How’s it going?”

  “Good, except I can’t match the time the truck left the border with their arrival here.” Gonzo glanced at a clipboard, his face twisting into a frown.

  “What do you mean?” Ivan asked, moving closer to him to get a look at the schedule.

  “Based on the distance and speed, there is almost an hour of lost time.” He glanced up at Gage. “It doesn’t add up, boss.”

  “Have you asked the driver about it?”

  “Not yet.”

  “Where is he?” Gage walked toward the truck as the men herded the last of the cattle into holding pens.

  “I’ll get him.” Gonzo walked toward a trailer used for breaks, returning a few minutes later with a rail thin man with leathered skin, wearing a well-used ball cap announcing his support of an American football team. “This is the driver, Hector Garcia. He only speaks a little English, so I’ll translate.”

  “Ask him about the discrepancy.” Gage watched Hector’s reaction, seeing his gaze drop to the ground as he shook his head, mumbling a reply to Gonzo. Digging in his pocket, he pulled out a crumbled piece of paper and handed it to Gonzo.

  “He says his boss asked him to make a stop about an hour out of El Paso. This shows a freeway exit, but nothing else.”

  “What boss?” Ivan asked in Spanish, stepping forward.

  Although Gage’s Spanish was passable, he couldn’t understand the driver’s rapid reply, but he did comprehend Ivan’s mumbled curse.

  “What is it?”

  “He said his boss was ordered to stop by another man. This man is a worker. He does what he’s told.”

  “I’ll do some checking, Ivan,” Gage offered. “It may mean nothing.”

  Ivan nodded, although his gut told him the additional stop did mean something. “I will also ask questions. I am certain we will find a satisfactory explanation.”

  ******

  Cold Creek, Colorado

  “Cassie, wake up. We have to get out of here.”

  Opening her eyes, Cassie tried to focus. “Janie?” she croaked out. “What time is it?”

  “It doesn’t matter. There’s a fire in the abandoned building next door. Kurt is out front with his crew. He says we have to evacuate. Now!”

  “Evacuate?” Her muddled brain finally kicked to life, her eyes flying open. Throwing off her covers, she fumbled for the jeans and shirt she’d tossed on a nearby chair.

  “He says not to take anything with us,” Janie called from the living room.

  Right, Cassie thought as she packed up her computer and slung it over her shoulder. Grabbing her jewelry case, phone, and purse, she dashed toward the front door, then stopped, turning back to her bedroom.

  “Cassie, we need to leave.”

  “Just a minute.” Rifling through a drawer, she found the small album hidden at the bottom, stuffing it into the computer bag before dashing out the front door. “Okay. Let’s go.”

  Smoke blanketed the air, making her eyes burn as they maneuvered the steps to the parking lot. Like Cassie, Janie had grabbed several of her own personal belongings, which shifted as she took the final few steps.

  “Come on.” Kurt gripped Janie’s arm, guiding her and Cassie to a cordoned off area where other residents waited, watching the flames from the nearby building. “You should be fine here unless the flames jump to your building, which is doubtful. Do not try to go back upstairs until I come back and get you.” He leveled a stern stare at Janie, then Cassie before leaving them to join the rest of the crew.

  Even from this distance, Cassie could feel the heat from the burning building, sense the fear of those standing around her. She’d never seen a fire of this magnitude or one that threatened human life. The flames seemed to have a life of their own as they danced in and out of an open window. She reached out and gripped Janie’s arm.

  “Was there anyone in the building?”

  “I don’t know.” Looking around, Janie spotted the flickering strobes of squad cars and an ambulance. “But there’s an ambulance over there.”

  “I suppose we should make ourselves comfortable. This could be a long wait.” Cassie reached into her purse, pulling out the keys to her truck. “Come on. Let’s wait in the truck.”

  “I don’t know…”

  “It’s right there.” She nodded to a parking spot not twenty feet away. “We’ll still be able to see what’s going on and keep an eye on Kurt.” Cassie knew he would be foremost in Janie’s mind. She’d never seen her so taken with a man. And from Kurt’s behavior, it appeared he felt the same. “Let’s get out of this smoke and drink some water. I always keep several bottles in the truck.”

  “I suppose it could be a long time before they let us back in our apartment.” Janie followed Cassie, slipping inside the truck. “It is good to get out of the smoke. The wind really carries it.”

  Handing Janie a bottle of water, Cassie leaned her head against the seat back and closed her eyes, stretching her legs out as far as possible. She’d just dozed off when the sound of her phone jerked her awake.

  “Hello?”

  “Sorry to be calling so late, but there’s been a change in the schedule for tomorrow.”

  “Matt?”

  “Yeah, it’s me.” Listening to her sleep-filled voice, Matt felt a sharp pain in his chest, recalling all the times he’d woken her from a deep sleep to make love. She never refused, always welcoming his caresses. They’d fit together perfectly. “Did I wake you?”

  Sitting up, she shook her head to clear her mind. “Not really. The fire did that.” She knew her response was curt, but she didn’t care.

  “What fire?” Matt asked, jolting to attention.

  “The one at a building near our complex. Janie and I are in my truck.”

  Matt paced back and forth in his grandfather’s living room. “Are you all right?”

  “Fine. We’re both fine. Just waiting to get back into our apartment.” She watched as Kurt walke
d toward them. “Kurt is here to give us an update. Can I call you back?”

  Matt stopped in his tracks. He’d completely forgotten about her firefighter boyfriend.

  “Sure. Talk to your boyfriend, then call me back.”

  “He’s not—” She started to tell him Kurt wasn’t her boyfriend, but the sound of the dial tone stopped her. Brushing a strand of hair away from her face, she fumed for an instant before realizing who she dated was none of Matt’s business. Nothing about her life was his business. What did she care if he thought she and Kurt were together? It made no difference to her. Shoving the phone back into her purse, she joined Janie and Kurt outside, having no intention of calling Matt back.

  “You should be fine to go back inside. We’ve got it under control.” Kurt settled a hand on the small of Janie’s back, letting her lean into him. “I’ll try to come up and check on you before we pull out.” He brushed a quick kiss across her lips, then turned and jogged away.

  Janie’s gaze followed him all the way back to the charred building.

  “Come on,” Cassie said, gripping Janie’s arm and tugging her toward the stairs. “I’ll make you a cup of hot chocolate.”

  “Ugh…nothing hot,” Janie grumbled as they trudged up the steps.

  ******

  Cassie had finally drifted off to sleep when her phone rang, startling her awake. Reaching out, she knocked the phone to the floor, mumbling a curse as she slid to the floor. Seeing Matt’s number, she groaned, almost deciding not to answer before reconsidering.

  “Yeah?”

  “You were supposed to call me back.”

  “There’s been a lot going on. They finally got the fire under control and let us back into our apartment. And no, neither Janie nor I were hurt, thanks for asking.” She paused, taking a breath and reining in her frustration. “I hope there’s a good reason you have to talk to me tonight,” she snapped.

  Matt’s jaw clenched at her snarky response. “Why? Am I interrupting something?” As soon as the question was out, he wanted to pull it back. It wasn’t any of his business who she spent time with or welcomed into her bed. Cursing to himself, he waited for a harsh response.