The guy sure could cook, too. Before his mom passed, she’d opened up a restaurant, and he’d learned from her. He’d tried to keep it afloat after she was gone, but it was a losing battle once the ranch died.
Wyatt’s dad cleared his throat. “Now, back to what I was wanting to say.” He looked at Bear. “We’re all proud of you and the work you’ve done here. This home is beautiful, and we all want to thank you for letting us invade.”
Waving him off, Bear shook his head. “Stop, Dad.”
Mrs. Fredericks added, “No, sweetheart. Your dad’s right. You did wonderfully. And we all get to stay together, which means your momma and I can sneak coffee together tomorrow morning.” She laughed.
Wyatt’s mom joined in with a chuckle. “If there’s coffee, I’m there.” She grinned.
“And, Bandit,” his dad continued. “Thank you for staying with us and cooking dinner tomorrow. I want you to know we appreciate you, and I’ll have my boys in there peeling potatoes. You just give the word.”
Gabby leaned over and whispered, “I’ve missed this.”
Her breath against his ear sent goosebumps down his spine. There was that weird feeling again. “It hasn’t been the same without you,” he whispered back. Now that he really thought about it, the holidays had been different without her, boring. He’d had no one to talk to. Yeah, he had his siblings, but that wasn’t the same.
Talking to Gabby always seemed to give him peace, and he was content when he was with her. The world always had a way of disappearing when they’d go off and talk. Stress would roll off him like raindrops on a tin roof. Things were always better when he was with Gabby.
The conversations soon dialed down to a hum as everyone fixed their sandwiches and ate. Every so often, someone would bring up an old memory from when they were kids, and everyone would get involved in retelling the story. Then the conversation drifted to high school and dating.
He’d dated a few girls in high school, but nothing serious like Carrie Anne. He couldn’t remember any of the girls he’d dated wanting to go fishing with him. Only one or two had ever come to his amateur rodeo events. After he went pro, he spent his first year focused on winning national titles so he could apply for the PBR, and it had paid off. After working on his skills, he’d applied and received his membership.
Not too long after that, he’d met Lori. She’d come to some of his events, but he was pretty sure she was just there to flirt with the other guys. At the time, Wyatt hadn’t really paid attention because she’d always been a bit of a tease. They were on and off for a year, mostly breaking up because she’d get tired of him being on the road. The last time, she’d made up with him and things were going well, or so he thought. Enough that he’d introduced her to his family and proposed to her in front of all of them. They’d been good a while after that. She seemed to be okay with him being on the road. Then…on a whim, he’d decided to surprise her, only to find her having dinner with another man.
It had broken his heart, but not as much as it should have. That’s when he wised up and broke it off. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, it had bothered him that she could say she loved him and then go around with another man.
A light elbow to his side brought him out of his thoughts. Gabby’s dark eyes were trained on him, and she looked concerned. “You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.” He smiled. “This is pretty good, huh?”
For a breath, she held his gaze, and he wondered if she was going to press him. She pulled her gaze from his and fixed it on her plate. “I’m enjoying it.” Something in her voice hinted at sadness.
“Are you okay?” Wyatt asked.
“Yeah, why?”
“Just the way you said it. You sounded sad.”
Shaking her head, she smiled, but he knew her well enough to know it was forced. “I’m not.”
That bothered him to a puzzling degree, the kind that wasn’t little-sister’s-best-friend troubled. He moved closer, whispering, “You’d tell me if you were, right?”
She nodded, but her body language screamed a different answer. Talk about a mystery he needed to solve, but there were too many people around. He needed to get her alone and find out why she was hurting. If it was something he could fix, he would.
How would he get her alone, though? It was cold outside, the house was filled, and there wasn’t a nook or cranny that would be safe from listening ears. If it was something deep that she needed kept secret, he wanted her to have the freedom to talk.
After getting a little more than halfway through her sandwich, Gabby wiped her mouth. “Um, I think I’m going to go to my room for a little while. I need to call work and see if I can get the time off for the wedding planning.”
She stood, and Wyatt jumped up. “Uh, yeah, I need to….” He should have thought through the rest of the sentence before opening his mouth. “Unpack.” Unpack? Well, he did. Now that he was changing rooms.
“You were here yesterday, weren’t you?” Carrie Anne perked up. “Didn’t you already unpack?”
Everyone at the table stopped talking and stared at Wyatt. His brain fritzed. Good grief, how could he get out of this mess. “Well, I had, but I decided to change rooms. I don’t like that first bedroom, so I’m taking the one across from Gabby. There’s too much noise with people coming up the stairs.” Whoa. Now he was thinking on his feet.
Carrie Anne’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly. “Ohhh-kay.”
Gabby tapped his bicep with her elbow. “You told me you were in the room across from me. You mean you weren’t?”
“Uh…” Sheesh, he was digging himself a hole so fast that dirt was getting in his eyes. How was he supposed to fix this? “We were arguing, and I was going to pester you for being so stubborn.” There. That was the truth.
Gabby rolled her eyes. “Really? What is this, junior high?”
“Sorry.” Oh man, what a mess he’d gotten himself into.
Hunter crossed his arms over his chest. “Why would I want to switch rooms with you? I don’t want to listen to all that noise either.”
If they were alone, Wyatt would thump him. “I’m switching. That’s all you need to know.” He growled the last few words as a warning to shut up about it.
“Whatever.” Hunter rolled his eyes.
Gabby set her silverware on top of her plate and then grabbed it and her glass. Wyatt followed her lead and did the same. They stopped by the kitchen and put their dishes in the sink and were quiet until they reached the top of the stairs.
“I can’t believe you planned to switch rooms just to bug me.”
He scratched the back of his neck as heat raced to his cheeks. “No, not totally. I’d…wanted to switch rooms.”
“Whatever. I guess I’ll see you later, then.”
She started to walk off, and Wyatt took her hand to stop her. “You seem sad. Is there anything I can do? I mean, that’s what family is for, right?”
Heartbeat after heartbeat pounded, her gaze staying trained on his hand. Slowly, she shook her head and pulled her hand free. “No, I’m fine. I just have some stuff to take care of.”
He could hear the tremble in her voice, and she wouldn’t meet his gaze. Before he could respond, she briskly walked down the hall and disappeared behind her door. For a second, he was dumbstruck. When his brain caught up, he strode down the hall and knocked on her door. “Gabby?”
Silence.
“Gabby? Are you sure everything is okay?”
“I’m fine, Wyatt,” she said, sounding anything but. Was she crying?
Wyatt set his hands on his hips. “If there’s something bothering you, you can tell me. I promise I won’t tell anyone. Whatever is sitting on your shoulders, you can let me help carry it.”
A long sigh. “I appreciate the offer, but I have work to do. I’ll talk to you later.”
What was going on that she wouldn’t talk to him? Well, whatever it might be, she wasn’t budging. Maybe over the next couple of days, possibly six weeks if her
work let her take off, he could find out what it was that was troubling her.
With one last look, he stepped inside Hunter’s room, gathered his brother’s things, and took them down to the room Wyatt had occupied the night before. Once he’d thrown his own stuff back in his duffle bag, he strode back to the room across from Gabby.
If nothing else, even if she didn’t confide in him, he’d at least get to see her every day, and for some reason, his heart even did a skip. He was losing it.
He shut the door, putting the strange feelings aside. He was just happy Gabby was home. He hadn’t seen her in a while, and that’s all it was—excitement. The family had missed her. Spending time with her would make it feel like old times, and that’s what he was needing most: normal, head-clearing time with his whole family.
Chapter 7
“Why are you sneaking around my kitchen?” Bandit asked.
Gabby startled as she stood in front of the fridge and nearly dropped the milk she was holding. “Bandit, by all that’s holy, you do that again and I’ll let a pack of wild dogs in here.”
His rich laughter filled the room, and she hushed him. “You’re going to wake everyone up!”
Bandit shrugged. “Aw, th-th-they can’t hear m-m-me. What are you t-t-trying to put together anyway?”
“I was thinking hot chocolate.”
He crossed the kitchen, stopping as he got to her. “That’s n-n-no way to make hot chocolate. You gotta use cream and—aw,” he said taking the milk from her. “I n-n-need some too. I’ll just make us b-b-both some.”
“Make that three?” Wyatt asked.
Gabby closed her eyes as he joined them. Why did he have to invade everything she did? She needed a second without him around.
He’s what had kept her up all night. She couldn’t believe Stephanie told him they’d been in Arkansas or that she’d left without telling him she was there. What no one knew was that she’d planned to tell him how she felt about him, and when she found him, a bunch of girls were hanging all over him. What chance did she have against them?
Family friend. Little kid. She couldn’t compete against older girls, so she’d left without saying a word. And after dinner, he’d reminded her of exactly how he’d always see her. Family. Nothing more.
“Sure.” Bandit said. “The more the merrier.”
Wyatt chuckled. “Thanks. Is that okay with you?”
Opening her eyes, she lifted her gaze to his. Why was he always so good-looking? Or more like how? Tousled bed-head hair, dark cotton t-shirt, and drawstring pajama pants. He looked like he’d walked off a magazine page.
If she said anything other than sure, he’d want to know why, and she didn’t want to give that answer. She shrugged a shoulder. “It’s okay with me.”
“Y-y-y’all take a seat in the living room, and I’ll b-b-bring the hot chocolate out when they’re done,” Bandit said as he pulled out a large pot. “It sh-sh-shouldn’t take too long.”
“Thanks.” Gabby slipped around Wyatt, hoping he’d want to stay in the kitchen and talk to Bandit.
Her hope was dashed when he sidled up beside her, smiling. “I thought I’d be the only one up this late, or I guess you could say early since it’s after midnight. What’s kept you from sleeping?”
Like she’d let that confession fly anytime soon. “I don’t know. I guess I’ve just got a lot on my mind.”
“Me too.”
When they reached the living room, Gabby took a spot in the corner of the couch and curled her legs under her as she rubbed her arms. “It’s a little chilly.”
Wyatt walked to the fireplace. “I could get a fire going.”
Pulling the blanket from the back of the couch, Gabby shook her head. “This will work.”
“You think it’s big enough for two? My feet are freezing.”
Sharing a blanket with him? Life was just being unreasonably unfair since she’d returned home. “Uh…” Her brain wasn’t fast enough.
He crossed the room, sat beside her, and pulled part of the blanket over him. “Yeah, this blanket’s plenty big enough.”
It could be as large as Texas and not be big enough, but she was now trapped. “Guess it is.”
“So, what’s on your mind, keeping you up at night?”
“Oh, just stuff.” Then she made the mistake of looking at him.
“What stuff? I mean, I know we weren’t as tight as thieves like you and Carrie Anne were, but you can trust me.” He smiled, and her gaze dipped to his lips.
With one little lift, her lips could touch his and her dreams of kissing him would be reality. Shortly followed by unfathomable embarrassment. How horrible would that be? It would take years to get over the awkwardness.
Wyatt bumped her shoulder with his. “Come on, spill.”
“I’m thinking about moving back to Caprock Canyon.” The words tumbled out before she could stop them. “I mean, of course, just thinking. Probably won’t. It just…coming back home has me all nostalgic. That’s all.”
“I get it. I’ve been back a few times, and I’ve felt that way. It’s hard to be away from home.”
She nodded, and they sat in companionable silence a second before her mouth began running again. “I think I might see if the old town newspaper is still up and running. If not, maybe I could see about starting it up again. Of course, I’d have to do some research. It may not be viable.”
Taking a deep breath, Wyatt seemed to weigh what she’d said. “It couldn’t hurt to try, that’s for sure.” He paused a second. “Hey, you want to go check out that pecan orchard later today to see if we want to get it going? After we’ve gotten some sleep? It could be fun. We’ll just have to dress warmly. When I peeked outside, it hadn’t snowed yet, but the weather app on my phone said to be expecting more. Maybe we can finally have an orchard like we talked about that summer.”
“That might be tough. It’s Thanksgiving Day. I don’t know if we’ll get the chance to do that.” More importantly, she didn’t want to be alone with him. She needed more time to get her head and heart on the same page: Wyatt was unavailable.
“We can’t eat all day long.”
“No, but you know we’ll be playing cards at some point.”
“I know. I was…how about the day after? We could go Friday.”
Gabby shook her head. “I’m going with Carrie Anne, my sister, and our moms to Amarillo to go Black Friday shopping.”
His shoulders sagged. “Shopping?”
“You know, to get presents and stuff.”
“How about after?”
“We’ll probably be gone all day.” Thank goodness, and she was genuinely thrilled until his lips turned down. Man, she hated how her insides melted when he looked sad. “Maybe we could go Saturday. Unless Carrie Anne has something planned.”
His smile returned, and butterflies danced in her stomach. “I’ll make sure she doesn’t.”
“O-o-okay,” Bandit said as he walked into the living room. “They’re d-d-done. Taste pretty g-g-good if I do say so myself.” He handed Gabby and Wyatt a cup.
She wrapped her hands around it, letting the warmth seep through her fingers, and then brought it to her nose. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes. “It smells heavenly.”
“Tt-th-thank you. It’s my momma’s recipe, b-b-bless her soul. The best c-c-cook ever.”
Wyatt took a sip of his and winced. “I should’ve waited. This stuff is napalm.”
Bandit laughed and sat in a chair adjacent to the couch. “It’s just chocolate if it’s n-n-not hot.”
“Well, you’ve got the hot part down.” Wyatt bent forward and set his cup on the coffee table. “I’ll give it a second.”
“I’d set mine down, but my hands are cold, and this feels good.”
“So, w-w-what’s g-g-got the two of you up at this time of night?” Bandit smiled as he took a sip of his drink. How he handled the temperature was beyond Gabby.
Wyatt crossed his arms over his chest. “Oh, just stuff on my
mind.” He hooked a thumb in her direction. “Same with her.”
“W-w-what’s on your mind, then?” Bandit asked.
Gabby lowered her cup to her lap. “I’m thinking about moving back home, but I’m not sure if that would work. Do you know if the Canyon Journal is still open?” It had been on its last leg when she’d left home.
“N-n-nah, it closed after you m-m-moved to Charleston. Mary Wise tried to keep it afloat, even going without p-p-pay, but Mr. Wise’s health got t-t-to the point where she had to stop.”
That saddened Gabby, but at the same time, it gave her ideas. She had a little money saved. If she got a loan at the bank and really worked hard, maybe she could restart it.
Chuckling, Wyatt smiled. “I can see the wheels turning a million miles a second.”
“Hush. It’s just thinking. As much as I’d like to, the reality is that I can’t. I don’t have the money to do that.”
“I can help with that,” Wyatt offered.
She shook her head. Never would she ever do that. The Wests weren’t ATMs, and she wasn’t taking a penny from them. “No. No way. I’m not taking money from you or anyone else.”
Bandit nodded. “Yep, k-k-keep telling Bear the s-s-same thing. I won’t take nothin’ from h-h-him. He’s m-m-my f-f-friend.”
“What good is money if you can’t share with the people you care about? You guys are like family to us. I don’t get why it’s such a big deal. Wouldn’t you want to do the same?” Wyatt leaned forward and grabbed his mug, testing another sip. “Mmm. That’s good stuff.”
Like family. Again, there was that word. Before it could drag her down, she pushed it away and stayed on topic. Wyatt had a point about the money. If Gabby’s family had won the lottery, they’d be trying to give it to the people they loved too. “Probably, but we didn’t win, and we don’t want to be the kind of people who only see you as dollar signs now. We don’t want it ruining our friendships…our family.”
The Best Friend's Billionaire Brother (Caprock Canyon Romance Book 1) Page 5
