“Girls.” The word was without condemnation. James headed for the cottage while Tori grabbed the rest of the stuff. She’d just stepped up onto the back deck when a screech came from within.
“There’s a man in here!”
She jogged inside. “Just my brother. Sorry!” She hadn’t even stopped to wonder if the girls might be in the midst of changing into their swimsuits. Not to worry, though. They were fully clothed as they leaned over the log rail above, eyes wide at the sight of a red-faced James setting their bags down just inside the door.
Tori stifled a giggle, remembering how the girls from Boston reacted to Noah. “Girls, meet my big brother, James. He and his wife, Lauren, live around the end of the lake. James, that’s Alexia on the left and Emma on the right.”
Emma gave a little wave.
“Hi, girls.” James’s gaze shifted between them as he lifted a hand in acknowledgment. “Brought in the rest of your stuff.”
“Thanks.” Alexia dragged out the word.
James shot Tori a sheepish grin as he pivoted for the exit.
She could hardly blame him. “Okay, grab your things from down here and finish putting them away.” She made a show of checking her watch. “We can head over to the beach in about half an hour. I hope you brought plenty of sunscreen.”
Emma scampered down the stairs with her sister following more sedately. “Are there cute guys closer to our age? And, you know, not married?”
“I’m not sure what we’ve got for guests this week, but remember your manners.”
Alexia rolled her eyes. “We’re always good.”
Emma giggled.
“I can send you back to Rockstead, you know,” warned Tori. That would be a last resort, though. Her heart had truly gone out to the twins who only seemed to be in the way at home... when they were noticed at all.
Emma saluted. “Promise we’ll behave.”
They’d get their chance to prove it at James and Lauren’s joint birthday party tonight. And Tori would get her chance to see Garret again. For better or for worse.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Garret looked from one parent to the other.
Mom lay in the hospital bed they’d rented for her studio. The head was raised a little tonight, but she still looked small and wan in its white shroud.
Dad sat at her side in a wing chair with his worn leather Bible on his lap. He met Garret’s gaze. “Go on, son. Have a good time.”
“You’ll let me know if you... if you need me.”
“Of course. But we’ll be fine here.”
With a sharp nod, Garret headed out of the sick room. Why, God? The words were a constant refrain these days. Sure, it might be deemed a pity party, but it wasn’t just for his own sake. It was for Nancy’s sake. And, yes, he’d noticed he thought of his parents more often as Nancy and Tucker recently than he had for years, like he was separating himself from them already, trying to lessen the impact losing them would have.
He ducked into his red pickup. There would have been no way he’d attend his friends’ party if Tori were still around, although Lauren probably wouldn’t have taken no for an answer regardless. She’d badgered a promise out of him when she’d returned to assess Boomerang’s progress. Said it was high time he opened up and let his friends support him in this troublesome time.
She was probably right. That didn’t make the short drive to the Flying Horseshoe much less daunting, though. All the rest of the gang made up half his anxiety.
Garret passed the main gates of the guest ranch. The place looked peaceful with the evening sun glinting off the water and lights on in some of the cottages. A few stragglers headed toward the dining hall past horses grazing in the pasture.
Then it was only the lake beside Creighton Road for a minute or two then the road that forked to Eli and Meg’s and James and Lauren’s. He pulled in, parked behind Trevor’s black truck, and levered himself out.
“Morrison!” yelled Kade. “Good to see you, man.”
Garret waved in acknowledgment. They’d better not make a big deal of him being here, or he’d make an excuse to leave sooner rather than later. He walked past the house toward the gazebo lit with strings of solar lights, his towel draped around his neck. Lauren had assured him the ranch chef, Ollie, was sending over the food, and there was nothing Garret needed to bring but himself.
The spread looked magnificent, as usual. He’d had his fill of pasta and casseroles the past couple of weeks. Meal trains had their place, and he was grateful to the church women, but couldn’t they lighten up their offerings?
“Hey.” A heavy hand clouted Garret’s back and he turned to see Sawyer Delgado.
“Hi there.” Garret nodded at the youngest brother, who showed up at random between rodeo events. Might as well try to be friendly. “How’re things?”
“Can’t complain. Won a couple of events down in Wyoming last week, second in some others. You?”
Garret’s throat choked. “Okay.” If there was anyone he didn’t want to discuss his mom’s illness with, Sawyer would hit the top of the list.
He scanned the group on the dock and in the lake, where Cheri was doing her best to dunk Kade. And failing. Maybe he could relax a smidge. Tori wasn’t here. He knew she wouldn’t be, but he’d still been torn between hope and dread on the way over. It wasn’t like he’d forgotten for an instant what her lips had felt like under his.
“Hey, have you met Adam Cavanagh? Buddy of mine from the circuit.” Sawyer thumbed to the guy coming up beside him. “Adam, this is Garret Morrison. Owns a riding stable.”
Automatically, Garret reached to shake the man’s hand. “Related to Noah?”
Adam grinned. “He’s my kid brother. I see he’s made his mark around here.”
“He’s a good farrier. Pleasure to meet his brother.”
“Yeah, he’s done good.” Adam looked around. “Nice spot here.”
“Sure is.”
Sawyer pointed out to the lake. “Looks like some of the tourists got lost.”
A canoe with three paddlers angled its way toward the nearby dock.
“Crashing the party?” asked Adam, turning to look.
Sawyer laughed. “Maybe word got out. I guess James will tell them to get lost if that’s what it is.”
Garret shook his head slightly, not that anyone was paying attention. James would be more likely to invite them in for cake and ice cream. As he watched, his eyes narrowed. If he didn’t know better, he’d think the paddler in the stern was Tori. But wasn’t she a couple of hours away at Rockstead?
“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Adam jogged down the slope and out onto the dock.
Of course. If it were Tori — and his eyes had not deceived him — the Cavanaghs would all know her. Garret had all but pushed her straight at that family of six macho cowboys. He had no one to blame but himself.
The stern paddler expertly turned the canoe against the side of the dock away from the swimmers, but it was the middle person Adam hauled out and hugged, then the front one.
“What’s going on?” Denae Delgado asked from nearby.
Garret glanced at her. That’s what he wanted to know. Because he was quite, quite sure that Tori Carmichael was climbing out of the canoe and tying its bowline to a post on the dock. She wasn’t at the Cavanaghs’ ranch. If his guess was correct, she’d brought her charges back to the Flying Horseshoe, only to be greeted by their big brother, Adam. A rodeo rider like Sawyer.
Garret pivoted on his heel only to slam right into James. “Excuse me.”
But James grabbed his arm. “Where are you going?”
“Home.” He choked the word out.
His friend glanced out to the lake then riveted on Garret. “Didn’t think you were chicken, Morrison.”
“You guessed wrong.”
Humor flicked through James’s eyes then fled. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. Or on anyone.”
“Lauren lied to me.”
James’s eyebrows rose as his
eyes narrowed. “Pardon me?”
“Okay, not in so many words, but she led me to believe Tori was away.”
“She was. We didn’t know she was coming home, bringing the twins with her, until last night. She arrived this afternoon. I’m sorry we forgot to send up a smoke signal to let everyone know.” Sarcasm laced his words.
Garret took a deep breath and met James’s eyes. “I’m sorry. That accusation was uncalled for.”
James snatched the truck key that had been dangling from Garret’s fingers. “You’re forgiven. You’re also staying.”
“James...”
“Go jump in the lake, Morrison. That’s what all the cool kids are doing. All your friends. Remember friends?” James waved a hand around the gathering. “This is what they look like. We’re going to swim and eat and shoot up some fireworks. After that, I’ll give you your keys back. Meanwhile, I think I’ll drop them in my wife’s underwear drawer. Pretty sure that will keep you from digging for them.” He winked and turned for the house.
For a brief instant, Garret entertained the thought of challenging his friend for that keyring, but James was probably tougher than he was. Besides, why make a scene? He was here now, and he might as well make the best of it.
Down on the dock, Tori Carmichael looked straight toward him and waved.
There was no avoiding her.
Chapter Eighteen
Tori ripped her attention away from Garret and back to the brawny cowboy embracing her charges.
He had a twin clinging to each arm as he turned toward her, curious eyes taking her in. “Hi. I’m Adam Cavanagh. How do you happen to have my sisters?”
“She’s our nanny,” Emma said with a giggle as her bare feet regained the planks.
“Nanny?” His eyebrows shot up. “Isn’t that for little kids?”
Alexia gave Tori a disdainful look. “Daddy figured we needed a keeper, and this is what happened. Noah offered her a job and Dad agreed. Now we have someone watching us twenty-four-seven. Rescue us, Adam!”
He laughed, a pleasant enough sound. “Dad’s got your number, Alexia. It’s about time he did something about you.”
“I’m Tori Carmichael. The Flying Horseshoe is my parents’ ranch. After spending a couple of weeks at Rockstead, your father allowed me to bring the twins here for a bit. It’s just a one-month contract.” And one she had little desire to renew, much as her heart went out to the girls.
He nodded at her, hands still claimed by his sisters. “I’m a friend of Sawyer’s and came home with him for a couple of days between events.” His gaze trailed down her body and back to her face. “What a surprise to find Alexia and Emma here, and to meet you. I’m very glad I came.”
She’d nearly left her shorts and tank top at the cabin. Thankfully she’d figured she might want them as the evening cooled off later, because whew for the additional barrier from this guy’s appreciative once-over.
“I see you two have met.” Sawyer nudged Adam. “She’s a cutie, isn’t she?”
That did it. Tori narrowed her eyes at Sawyer. “Stuff it, Delgado. Did you forget you already had a girlfriend? Or did you ditch Anna already?”
He frowned. “She’s the reason I came home this weekend, but she’s not picking up my calls. You seen her lately?”
“I’ve been away for two weeks. I haven’t seen anybody until tonight.”
“I stopped by The Branding Iron, but she wasn’t working, and the kid who was on didn’t have time to check the schedule. It was hopping in there.”
“It’s Thursday.”
He rolled his eyes. “Brilliant, my dear Watson.”
“Anna always works on Thursdays.”
“Well, she’s not there tonight.”
Maybe she’d figured out what a jerk Sawyer was and was avoiding him. Better late than never.
“Come swimming,” Emma begged, tugging on Adam’s arm.
“Sure. That’s what I came for. That and food.” He winked at Tori. “And for pleasant surprises.”
Men. “Go ahead,” Tori told the girls, not that they were waiting for her approval. “I’ll take the cooler Ollie sent up to the gazebo and join you in a minute.”
“I’ll get it.” Sawyer leaned into the canoe. “What did you bring? It looked like a full spread up there already.”
She laughed. “When Ollie sent all that, he didn’t know we’d have teen girls. He figured he needed to provide them with suitable snacks, too. I think there are pigs-in-blankets and chocolate cookies. The non-baked kind.”
“Mm. My favorites, too.” Sawyer carried the cooler down the dock then toward the gazebo.
Tori walked beside him, which had nothing to do with Garret still standing right where he’d been for the past five minutes, just catching the glow of the gazebo’s lights, and everything to do with arranging the additional snacks according to Ollie’s directions.
“If being an adult means I don’t get any of Ollie’s cookies, I’ll pull a Peter Pan and stay a kid.”
She angled a look up at Sawyer. “Thought you’d already made that decision.”
“You wound me.” He winked and leaned closer, nudging her. “I’m very grownup in some ways.”
If she was supposed to ask what those were, he had another think coming. “It creeps up on all of us, one way or the other,” she agreed, shifting away. Like now. Taking on the Cavanagh twins had taught her a couple of things. One, caring for someone else’s teens full-time was not a task to be taken lightly, and two, she really missed the daily routines of the Flying Horseshoe.
It wasn’t Garret she missed. She missed home. That was all. Right?
Sawyer set the cooler down, and she bent to flip it open and remove the containers.
He reached for them. “Where do you want them?”
“I can do it.” Why couldn’t he take the hint and just leave her alone? Alone but for Garret standing like a fence post a few feet away.
“I don’t mind.”
“Sawyer, really. Go swimming with your friend. Just remember those girls are thirteen. You better not flirt with them.”
“Me?” He pressed a hand over his heart.
For the first time, she realized he was shirtless. And kind of sculpted... which wasn’t much of a turn-on in the face of his assuming attitude. “Get out of here. I’m serious.”
“All right, then. Come on down to the lake so I can throw you in.”
“As if. And aren’t you mourning Anna, if she’s avoiding you?”
Sawyer shrugged. “Her loss.”
Tori gritted her teeth as he strutted off then turned to say hi to Garret. Only he wasn’t there anymore. Or anywhere she could see.
Garret tossed a pebble into the tumbling creek not far from the group gathered by the gazebo and dock. He could only hope no one would find him while he pulled himself together. At least his swim trunks and T-shirt were dark and the creekside shadowed by the log footbridge.
She was more beautiful than he remembered. The short auburn hair suited her face, making her look like a pixie. He’d seen her trim shape a hundred times, but never had her gentle curves looked so tempting as tonight in short jean cutoffs and a light green tank top crested with the guest ranch’s symbol, a winged horseshoe. And now even more skin was exposed in a two-piece suit that flashed slivers of her belly. If he held her in his arms, he’d touch her skin there, at the curve of her waist.
But it was her lips he craved. He’d tasted them once. What had he been thinking, savoring them even briefly that day on his doorstep? For five seconds he’d given in to what might have been. Five seconds that had branded his heart as surely as a cowboy’s hot iron branded the flank of a calf, and with the same result. Ownership had been marked.
His heart was Tori’s. His parents encouraged him to go for it. Could he?
He looked toward the lake, where dusk had settled and someone had lit a couple of gas lanterns on the dock posts, casting a warm glow over the moonless scene.
Adam Cavanagh stood on th
e planks and reached to give Tori a hand up beside him. She was laughing. Just as she’d laughed with Adam and Sawyer earlier.
She’d obviously moved on, and Garret couldn’t blame her. At best, he’d sent her mixed signals. At worst, he’d turned away from her, shunning the gift she offered him. One of those times had been public, and still she’d come again.
And kissed him.
He touched his mouth now as he watched her shove Adam off the dock. Would she kiss Adam tonight? She wouldn’t. It had taken her five years to kiss Garret, but then again, he’d never encouraged her. Flirted with her. Not like Cavanagh was doing right now. The guy clambered back onto the dock, and Tori dove in. With strong, sure strokes, she headed along the shore.
Toward him. He sank deeper into the shadows. With any luck he’d stay camouflaged.
“Garret?” Her voice was pitched to his ears alone, to be heard over the tumbling creek.
So much for his hope.
For a long moment, Tori thought her eyes had deceived her. There hadn’t been much to the slight movement by the bridge, but she’d been scanning the shore in between dives, and there’d been a definite flicker down this way.
“Hey.”
Her heart sped as she sloshed ashore over the slippery rocks. “Whatcha doing over here?” As if she didn’t know.
His shoulder lifted in a shrug.
She wouldn’t have seen the movement if she wasn’t so tuned to him. A wide rock parted the creek not far from where Garret sat. She settled onto it, shivering slightly from the cooler water. “How’s your mom doing?”
“Not very well.”
She’d heard as much from her own mother. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“It’s hard. On Dad.”
“On you, too.”
He turned to look out on the lake. “Yeah, well. It’s just how it is.”
How could she encourage him to accept emotion? It wasn’t just for her, but he needed it for himself, too. For the time remaining with his mom. “Tell me about her. Are you close?” They had to be, for him to be hit this hard, but she couldn’t think of a better opener.
The Cowboy's Belated Discovery Page 13
