“Lead the way.” He waved toward the two-wheel path that would take us to the south part of the ranch.
I mounted Jigsaw and clicked my tongue to walk away from the stables. When we hit grass, I gave him his head and let him go, our pace starting as an easy lope until he was galloping through the meadow.
My heart raced as the air whipped in my face. As he picked up speed, my muscles contracted, my core engaging and my thighs warming. I gave Jigsaw another nudge, letting him break to full throttle.
We were both panting when we hit the tree line. I slowed him down and turned, seeing Cash a way back, the truck bouncing through the middle of the field.
“Good boy.” I patted Jigsaw’s neck, his hide sweating. Then I wiped my own sweaty brow with my shirtsleeve.
The lodge stood tall and proud in the distance. I didn’t spend much time there during the day—it had never felt as much like my place as the barn or stables—but it was mine.
I’d be avoiding that building like the damn plague since Gemma was somewhere inside.
Her face, shocked and beautiful, was burned into my brain. Those pink lips looked as soft as I remembered. Her hair was longer now, hanging in artful waves to the middle of her back. Her eyes were that same mesmerizing hazel.
She’d grown into a stunning woman.
Exactly what I didn’t need on this ranch. I wasn’t sure how long she’d planned to stay, but I had enough to deal with on a good day, with the regular ranch and resort workload. We were gearing up to begin winter prep. There was firewood to cut. The cows would need to be brought down to the meadows from where they’d spent their summer grazing in the mountains.
It was not the time to have an old fling show up at my damn front door.
I’d done a fine job of forgetting Gemma Lane.
At least, I thought I’d forgotten her. The knee-jerk reaction and the fact that now I couldn’t stop thinking about her said otherwise.
She needed to go back to wherever she’d come from and remember that she didn’t belong here. Just like she hadn’t belonged here years ago. With any luck, her visit would end before sundown.
Cash pulled up with the truck and rolled down his window. “You okay?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“You shot out of there like your heels were on fire.”
“Just wanted to give Jigsaw a chance to run.”
“Sure,” he deadpanned. “You know, before I came to the stables, I helped this hot brunette with a kickass car haul her suitcase into the lodge. She looked awfully familiar, and you’re in a lousier than normal mood today. She wouldn’t have anything to do with it, would she?”
I gritted my teeth. “No.”
He chuckled. “Whatever you say, brother.”
Luggage. Fuck. She was staying.
How did Cash even remember Gemma? When she’d worked here before, he’d been away at college in Idaho. He must have remembered her from a trip home for spring break.
Meanwhile, I’d been here when Gemma, Kat and their other friend had arrived, having just graduated from Montana State. I’d been twenty-two, educated and energized with ideas for taking this ranch to the next level.
It had taken me over a decade to implement some of those ideas. Others had died along the way.
“I want to get through this pasture today if we can,” I told Cash, needing to concentrate on work for a few hours. “Hopefully it’s not too bad.”
“Sounds good. I rode out here last week with Kat so she could try out that mare. I didn’t notice any wires down but we didn’t ride down the line.”
“Fingers crossed this won’t take more than a day. I’d like to get the yearlings in here next week.”
Cash’s forehead furrowed. “Dad said we were going to use this as the calving pasture this year and the yearlings were going north of the highway.”
“What? When?”
“Yesterday. Day before. I don’t know. I assumed he told you.”
“No,” I snapped. “He didn’t.”
And goddamn it, that wasn’t Dad’s decision to make. Not anymore.
He’d agreed to let me handle the land. I had a degree in rangeland management and another in animal science. This pasture didn’t have enough grass for all the pregnant cows, and we’d end up hauling hay. But it would be the perfect pasture to let the yearlings graze before we sold them in a few weeks.
“Son of a bitch.”
“Don’t shoot the messenger.” Cash held up his hands. “I thought it was your idea.”
No, it was not. Which meant I’d have to have another lengthy discussion—argument—with Dad this week. “Let’s get to work.”
Jigsaw didn’t need any prompting to walk easily along the barbed wire fence. He sauntered slowly so I could inspect each of the five wires and make sure none were too loose or broken. When we reached a section where a post had begun to lean and tug the wires out of alignment, I dismounted and set it to rights before continuing down the line.
Damn it to hell.
I was pissed at Granddad for being himself. I was frustrated that Dad would never let go, like his father. And I was angry that ten seconds with Gemma had me so twisted up that when I passed a downed wire, Cash had to holler at me to stop.
“What’s up with you?” he asked, getting out of the truck.
“Just got some shit on my mind.”
“Let’s hear it.”
I looked at my brother as he crossed his arms and leaned on the grill of the truck. He wasn’t going anywhere until I unloaded.
“I’m tired.” I sighed. “Tired of not being heard.” Tired of not feeling like I had some control over my own destiny.
“It’s just habit, East. They aren’t doing it to run you off, they just don’t know any better. I mean, look how long it took Granddad to let Dad run the show. You were—what?—a senior when he retired? I was a sophomore.”
“Maybe I should have taken over the resort when Grandma asked me to.”
“Dealing with guests all day? Pampering them? You would have hated that job. Besides, Katherine is perfect for it.”
She was exactly the right person for that job and everyone knew it, including me. Which was why no one challenged Katherine. When she had an idea, everyone was all ears.
Maybe that was because the resort side of the business had always been Grandma’s passion. When she had announced that she wanted to start a resort and was using five million dollars to build the lodge, Granddad had stayed quiet and smiled as she’d written the first check.
That was when the resort had been a hobby. A side gig. I always thought Granddad had believed in Grandma, but he hadn’t expected it to take off. He certainly hadn’t imagined it would ever be as successful as it was today.
The resort was pulling in more and more income each year, and Katherine had more freedom to run the business than I’d ever had managing the ranch. And I’d lived here my entire life.
“They listen to her,” I said. “Completely. It’s hard not to get jealous.”
“And it’s hard not to get jealous when you weren’t even in the running to take over the resort or the ranch.”
Ah, hell. “Sorry.”
I didn’t mean to make Cash feel like a lesser contributor. I was tired of fighting with Dad and Granddad and I clearly forgot to keep my brother’s feelings in check, especially with how much I valued his opinions.
“It’s okay.” Cash shrugged. “Things are better this way. I love my job and what I’m doing here. As long as I have my horses, I’m a happy man.”
Soon he’d have more than just horses.
I hadn’t told him or anyone yet, but I’d put in an offer to buy a patch of land bordering us on the west. If it came together, I was going to build another stable and ask Cash to take over as manager for a top-of-the-line equine breeding and training facility.
Cash had a gift when it came to horses and assessing their nature. It was time to put it to use. His talents were wasted catering to guests.
I prayed the purchase didn’t fall through.
Or that my family found out and put a stop to something before I’d even gotten it started.
“Let’s get this fixed.” I jerked my chin to the fence.
Thirty minutes later, the section was fixed and we were moving down the line. As the hours passed, the tension in my shoulders eased. There was something comforting about physical labor that soothed my soul. Something relaxing about being on a horse.
It was in my blood. Working here called to my soul.
Cash was right about Dad and Granddad. They loved this work too. They didn’t challenge me to be malicious, but they acted out of habit and because they were stubborn.
So was I.
It was a trait famously passed through the Greer bloodline. And while I could rationalize it in my head, it still annoyed me on the day-to-day.
By lunch, we’d finished checking the pasture’s fence and my stomach was growling. I gave Cash a nod to head on back to the barn while Jigsaw and I made the return trip at an easier pace.
Most of my frustration from my family had worked its way out. Now it was mostly Gemma plaguing my mind.
Why was she here? How long was she staying? No matter the duration, I’d make sure to keep myself busy. There was no reason to see her except . . .
Shit. My family had loved Gemma, especially Grandma.
When she’d worked here, they’d been some of our first employees. Grandma had hired them after a phone interview with Katherine because she’d liked the girl’s spirit.
Grandma didn’t hire much anymore, but she’d always been a good judge of character.
And when three young women had arrived at the lodge, fresh faced and excited, Grandma had taken them under her wing. To this day, Grandma believed that was the best hiring decision she’d ever made.
Those three had cleaned, washed laundry, gardened and waitressed. Any job they were given, they did without question while wearing real smiles.
The first time I’d seen Gemma, she’d been polishing silverware in the kitchen. I’d walked in, expecting it to be empty, but there she was, sitting on the stainless-steel table, rubbing a rag over a knife until she could see her reflection in the metal.
She’d flashed me a smile, hopped down and stuck out her hand.
I’d almost fallen over at that smile.
Then I’d done what all arrogant and stupid twenty-two-year-old guys did when faced with a gorgeous woman. I’d played it cool and ignored her. I’d pretended like I hadn’t had the biggest crush of my life.
That had backfired spectacularly.
Because Gemma hadn’t craved my attention. She’d been a force of her own, so tied up in her own life that others were forgotten.
What she’d done to Katherine was the perfect example.
And what she’d done to me.
Things were different now. I wasn’t a young man driven by hormones and lust who wanted a young woman. Ignoring Gemma wouldn’t be some tactic to woo her into my bed. I’d ignore her because sooner than later, she’d be gone anyway. I just had to bide my time for a week, maybe two.
Then Gemma Lane would disappear.
And I’d go back to forgetting the breathtaking woman with the sparkling hazel eyes who, turns out, I hadn’t forgotten about, after all.
Chapter Four
Gemma
“So basically, you quit your life?”
“Well, when you say it like that it makes me sound crazy.”
“Wow.” Katherine grabbed the bottle of wine from the middle of the table and topped off my glass. “How many days ago was this?”
“I left Londyn’s a week ago. I left Boston a couple days before that.”
“And here you are.”
“Here I am.”
I was sitting across from Katherine in the dining room at the lodge. We were sharing a piece of chocolate cheesecake, polishing off a bottle of wine, after we’d eaten a delicious dinner of roasted chicken and mashed potatoes. Their website had not exaggerated the quality of the food. Or the wine selection.
“How is Londyn?” Katherine asked.
“She’s wonderful.” I smiled. “She’s married and has a baby girl. She’s happy.”
“I’m glad. I think about her, about everyone, from time to time.”
“Even me?”
“Yes. But I was hurt when you left.”
“I’m sorry.” I’d keep apologizing until she forgave me. Or maybe until I forgave myself.
“Don’t be.” She gave me a sad smile. “It was about a year after you left, I was out riding with Carol one day, and I realized that this was where I’m supposed to be. I’m happy here. I love my job and the ranch and the Greers. They’ve kind of made me an honorary member of the family, and I couldn’t have asked for better.”
“I’m glad. And I’m still sorry.”
“You’re forgiven.”
“Really? You’re not going to make me work harder for it?”
She shrugged. “It’s not my style.”
No, it wasn’t. Katherine was too honest and real to punish me for something she’d already let go. Even after all the shit she’d been dragged through, she had never turned bitter.
“It worked out how it should have,” she said. “I would have gone with you to Boston and resented every second. At the time, the promise of all that money sounded so good. But the city isn’t me. Real estate isn’t me. I helped with one of the deals when the Greers were buying some acreage a few years ago and I hated every second. Talk about stress. And paperwork.”
I laughed. “It’s not without challenges.”
“Did you enjoy it?”
“I did for a time. Mostly, it was the springboard.” I’d used the money I’d made to invest in other venues.
Four months after we’d come to work at the Greer Ranch, Londyn had decided to try something new. She’d enjoyed Montana but it hadn’t been her landing spot. She’d asked me to come with her, to head east, but I’d stayed behind with Katherine.
I’d liked working here and being one of those honorary Greer family members.
Then about four months later, Katherine and I had been working in this very dining room. She waitressed while I’d tended bar, filling in for one of the seasonal workers who’d quit to return home. A couple had come in for a nightcap and like all other guests here, they’d oozed money.
It had been an oddly quiet night and the room had cleared out earlier than normal. But the couple had stayed and visited with Katherine and me. Three hours later, we’d confided in them—something we never did—telling them the story of our childhood.
They’d found it tragically fascinating.
And that night, Sandra and Eric Sheldon had changed my life.
They owned a real estate company in Boston, brokering some of the finest homes in the city. Before they’d checked out of the resort, they’d offered both Katherine and me jobs. They’d offered to hire us at their firm and give us a shot.
Sandra had given us her business card and had asked that we consider the offer. That if we were interested, Boston was waiting and so was she.
It had been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
I’d been ready to hop on the bus the next morning. Katherine had been more hesitant, not wanting to abandon the Greers until they’d had replacements hired.
The more she’d hesitated, the more anxious I’d been that the Sheldons would forget about us. That this chance to make it rich would evaporate.
As an ambitious nineteen-year-old, patience had not been a strength.
I’d craved adventure. I’d craved the promise of money, to become a woman like Sandra who wore jewels dripping from her ears and nails that would never be caked with dirt.
Katherine had begged me to wait and give our notice to the Greers together.
Two days later, without telling Katherine, I’d taken the Sheldons’ card, packed up my things while she was cleaning a guest room and left. When I’d arrived in Boston and called Sandra, I�
��d lied and said that Katherine hadn’t been interested.
When really, I’d left her behind.
I hadn’t even written a note.
Because Katherine had known exactly where I’d gone. It was truly a miracle that she didn’t hate me.
Over dinner tonight, I told her all about my life in Boston. How I’d worked as Sandra’s assistant for six months until I had my license. How within two years, I’d become their highest grossing agent, specializing in elite Boston properties.
When real estate had become tedious, I’d started investing. Until one day, I hadn’t needed to sell properties to survive. I’d laid the foundation of my empire and kept adding bricks.
I’d spent years trying to fill the hole in my chest with money and business. But even with all the power, the prestige, the fortune, that hole was still there.
The numbness remained.
I was still just a runaway kid, numb to the world, searching for anything to make her feel.
“Do you talk to anyone else?” Katherine asked. “From Lou’s?”
“No, just Londyn. Do you?”
“No.” She shook her head. “How did you know I was here?”
“A while back, I was curious where everyone had landed, so I hired an investigator to find out. You made his job easy since your picture was all over the resort’s website.”
“Ah. That makes sense.”
“Did you hear that Lou died?”
“He did?” Her hand pressed against her heart. “How? When?”
“Years ago. He died in his sleep.”
Tears shone in her blue eyes. “I’ll never forget that man.”
Lou Miley had owned the junkyard when Karson had discovered it after running away from home. Karson had snuck in and out for a month, sleeping there and hiding out, until one night, Lou had come out with a blanket.
Lou hadn’t tossed Karson out. He hadn’t brought him inside, either. He’d simply let Karson stay.
When I’d found Karson after leaving my own home, Lou hadn’t even batted an eyelash the first time he’d spotted me in his junkyard. He’d given me a grunt and a glare and disappeared into the shack he’d called home.
Wild Highway: Runaway Series - Book 2 Page 4
