by Em Petrova
She’d return to her life and how could he add up to more? A wrangler like him, laid up with a busted foot… He had no money to speak of, hardly had time to take care of himself between his work with King and the small chores he managed to do around his own place.
He didn’t have time for a woman, anyway. Wooin’, old-fashioned courtin’, datin’ all required time and money, both of which he was short on.
Well, he had the time right now, but the crutches couldn’t add to his appeal.
“Why don’t you take the bed?” he suggested. “Get some rest.”
She looked up, but he saw something more in her gaze, and she worried her lip with her teeth.
“What is it?” he asked gently.
“I have to go back, don’t I?”
His heart twisted in his chest. Studying her, he asked, “Don’t you want to?”
A second passed before she gave a nod. Looking down at her plate of eggs, she nodded a second time. “Of course I do. It’s a great job, and I’m so lucky that I have it. So many people would kill to do what I do.”
She sounded far from convinced or happy about it.
“I’ll go back to the set this afternoon.”
Fuck. So soon. It really was a blip in time, wasn’t it? One heartbeat out of millions he’d live in his life.
Only this was one he’d remember more than the rest.
“I can drive you down if you want.” His offer held only resignation.
“Yes. But first…” Her eyes burned into him, leaving him scorched and shell-shocked. How, in a couple days, had she managed to become such a huge part of his existence?
He ached to reach out to her. “But first what?”
“I’d like to visit Bellarose. Would you take me up there?”
“Won’t she be on set today?” he asked.
“Isn’t this Wednesday?”
He nodded.
“It’s her day off.”
“All right then.” He lay his hand flat on the table. “We’ll go after we get cleaned up. Eat your eggs, honey.”
A smile ghosted across her face, so small and swift, vanishing quickly. “Only if you promise to prop your foot while I’m in the shower.”
How was he going to get through the rest of these long, dull days of his recovery without the vibrant woman seated across from him? He’d even miss her ordering him around.
* * * * *
“This place is beautiful.” Aria stared at King Yates’ ranch, known as Blackwater. From the sign they’d driven under to the miles of pristine fencing, she was impressed with the entire operation.
“Yeah, it’s not bad to look.” Wheeler’s dry tone brought a smile to her lips. He took a left turn and they rolled up in front of a modest cabin.
She wrung her hands. “Suddenly, I’m nervous.”
“Well, if I was coming back from the dead and showing up on Bellarose and King’s doorstep, I’d feel the same.” He parked the truck and shot her a look.
“I’m hardly coming back from the dead. Do you have to tease me on top of all the emotional discomfort I’m already in?” Her words were softened by her playful sidelong look.
“I’m not the one on the run.” The crooked smile tormenting her insides was something she wouldn’t mind seeing more of. Back in the kitchen, she had made the final choice to return to the set. Most of the night while watching over the horse, she’d had plenty of time to face her demons. In the end, she’d decided to return sooner than she originally wanted because she could still hear her daddy’s voice echoing in her head from their earlier conversation.
He hadn’t agreed with the way she was handling things but had relayed his trust in her. Being raised by the man who didn’t give trust lightly, Aria knew that was code for her to think on what she was doing. As a child, if these words were spoken to her, it always gave her pause. More than once she’d considered some rash mistake before making it and veered the other direction.
Wheeler got out of the truck and pulled down his crutches. As he made his way around the rear, Aria stared at the cabin. Well, this was her first step in taking more control of her life.
She wasn’t friends with Bellarose but she wanted to be, so she would make an overture starting right now.
She waited for Wheeler to catch up to her and together, they headed to the cabin. A high-pitched yipping bark brought her attention around just as a herd dog, speckled with one blue eye and one brown, came barreling around the corner of a huge barn.
As it launched itself at Wheeler, he swung his injured foot back to protect it. What was a large and energetic pup launched itself at the man.
“Awww, did ya miss, me, boy? He reached down to scratch its ears.” Glancing away from the dog to Aria’s face, he said, “This here’s Jack.”
At his name, the dog wagged his tail wildly.
Aria reached out to let him sniff her fingers. When she was cleared as no threat, she patted the shepherd’s head. “Hey, boy. You’re pretty nice, aren’t ya?”
When she was finished fussing over the dog, she looked up to find Wheeler staring at her.
“Ready?” he asked.
She drew a deep breath. “Yes.”
As they approached the house, the pup circled them and Wheeler scolded him to keep away from his crutches. No sooner had they neared the porch steps than the door opened and Bellarose stepped out.
Her jaw dropped at the sight of Aria, and she rushed forward. “Oh my God! You’re safe!”
Aria couldn’t have felt lower than she did at this moment, knowing the worry she had caused everyone. She’d stupidly believed that since she was a new actor to the show, she was less important. But that obviously wasn’t the case, if Bellarose’s tears were anything to go by.
“I’m fine, and I’m so sorry for worrying you.”
Bellarose took her by the shoulders and gave her a little shake before pulling her in for an embrace. Aria was an only child, and this was as close as she’d ever come to feeling like someone’s little sister.
The woman Aria looked up to and was more than shy around jerked her head to the side, piercing Wheeler in her gaze. She planted a hand on her hip. “Tell me that you don’t have something to do with this.”
“All I did was find her in my barn.”
“Barn? When?” She looked between them.
“Maybe we should sit down,” he suggested.
“Oh dear. Yes, we should. How is your foot?” She opened the door and ushered them both inside. When the puppy tried to follow as well, she told him to lie down and wait for King. They went inside, leaving the puppy on the porch wagging its tail.
Once she’d led them to the living room, she looked at Aria. “I was so worried. We all are.”
“I know. I’m very sorry that I took off. It was a hasty decision and one I regret.” She glanced at Wheeler. But I don’t regret it the way I probably should. “When Jason showed up with that ring and the dress and flowers… I just flipped. I didn’t even think about what I’d done until I was in Wheeler’s barn and curled up in the stall crying.”
Bellarose pressed her fingers to her lips and shook her head. “They called off the search—I heard that much—but I didn’t know why till now. You called into the sheriff’s office.”
Wheeler nodded.
Aria sat next to him on a leather sofa and felt herself looking to him for support. Which was insane, because they were new friends and she shouldn’t be relying on him quite this much so soon.
Their circumstances had bound them quickly, though. She needed him, he needed her. Then the intimacy of the previous night…
She tried not to give anything away to Bellarose, but the woman was already looking between them.
“Wheeler was kind enough to let me stay at his place while I collected myself. And I helped him with the chores and his horse that’s injured.”
“The horse is improved King said,” Bellarose said.
“Took a bad turn last night with his leg swelling, but we caught it in
time and Aria spent all night icing it. This morning it looks much better.”
“I’m glad to hear that then. But… Wheeler, you were here yesterday. King was at your place too. And Aria was hiding out with you the entire time?”
“That was by my request,” Aria spoke up, taking the blame on herself. “I didn’t want to say where I was, bring the media down on Wheeler.” When she met his stare, he gave a short nod, and she reached out and brushed her fingers over his knuckles.
An action that was not lost on Bellarose.
The dog yipped again outside. “That’ll be King.” A minute later, his heavy boot steps rang on the wooden floors of the cabin. When he entered the room, he stopped dead.
With his stare on Wheeler, he said, “I take it this is Aria.”
“Yes, isn’t it wonderful she’s safe? And with Wheeler the whole time,” Bellarose spoke up.
King cocked a brow. “Care to join me on the porch for a beer?”
Wheeler was on his crutches immediately and stumping after the man, leaving Aria alone with Bellarose.
“I feel terrible.”
Bellarose reached out and squeezed her hand. “Why don’t we have some tea? C’mon.”
They went into the kitchen, which was homey with modern touches like new granite counters and stainless appliances. “You know, I had a feeling you had landed on your feet and nothing bad had happened to you.” Bellarose directed a lock of red hair behind her ear as she lit the burner under the teapot.
Aria slid onto a barstool and folded her hands on the countertop. “I have no excuses except to say I’m new to this life and I freaked.”
“Jason Lee didn’t stick around long. He was pretty broken up, I hear.”
Aria rubbed a hand over her eyes. “I need to speak with him. I still haven’t figured out what to say.”
“I’m pretty certain he knows you don’t want to marry him.” Amusement tinged her tone and she smiled gently at Aria.
Funny how they’d spoken little to each other over the course of filming, but now that she was seated in Bellarose’s kitchen, Aria couldn’t figure out why she’d been shy around her. She was very intuitive and kind about the situation.
“I’m sure I’m on every tabloid and magazine in the free world right now.”
“Pretty much, yeah. But mostly because nobody knows what happened to you. How on earth did you end up with Wheeler? And what is going on between you?” Bellarose got down two mugs from a shelf and added teabags to each.
Aria jolted. “What do you mean what is going on between us? Nothing.”
“Hmm. I’ve never seen Wheeler look at a woman the way I just saw him look at you. How long have you known each other?”
“You… you think that I’d met Wheeler before and he’s the reason I didn’t want to marry Jason?” She shook her head. “I took off running and ended up at his place. It was dark and I didn’t want to be met on the porch with a shotgun, so I slipped into his barn and fell asleep, thinking to leave first thing. But then he came to the barn and found me.”
“This sounds like something the writers would come up with for Redemption Falls.” Bellarose chuckled.
“Ugh, it does, doesn’t it? It’s worse than the stepbrother storyline for sure, and Wheeler made fun of that.”
She pondered Bellarose’s revelation that she’d never seen Wheeler look at a woman like he’d looked at Aria. Warmth spread over her at the mere thought, and she hoped she hid it away well enough. She was far from ready to discuss anything concerning Wheeler. Not that anything was going on—they were friends.
Who’d slept together.
Several times.
But it had only been one night.
Who was she kidding? If she stayed with him a second, third, or more, she’d land in his bed every single time.
“Bellarose, you’ve been in the industry longer than I have. I appreciate your opinion or any advice you can offer me on how to get myself out of this awful mess. With the running away, with Jason, and then not telling people where I was right away…”
“And with Wheeler?”
Long seconds passed.
“You don’t need to explain to me if you don’t want. But I know Wheeler and I’m a willing listener if you need to get anything off your chest.” Bellarose rescued the kettle from the flames and poured their mugs.
Aria took another minute to gather her thoughts. “No,” she said slowly. “Oddly, I know exactly where I stand with Wheeler.”
“And that is?”
“We’re friends, I think. Not sure how it happened so fast, but I guess it was being thrown into a tough situation and helping each other out. But…”
“Go on.” She added sugar to her tea.
Aria picked up her spoon and stirred the hot drink. “I haven’t made decisions for myself for a long time. Like… years. I landed this acting role and never tried for it. It was handed to me—I didn’t choose it. I don’t know if I’m making sense. But when faced with a wedding and a man I didn’t love… Well, I finally snapped and made a rash decision based on emotions. I ran. But it was a choice of my own for once, and I made another when I begged Wheeler not to tell anybody of my whereabouts.” She gave a low laugh. “He didn’t even know who I was at first sight. It was refreshing not to be recognized, I’ll say.”
Bellarose laughed. “I believe it. I’m married to a man who didn’t even know me at all.”
They shared a chuckle and sipped their tea. After a moment, Bellarose lowered her mug and eyed Aria.
“What is your next step?”
“I’m going back. Today.” She might have sounded a bit too forceful.
“Wheeler is a grumpy bear with his broken foot, isn’t he? King said he’d be as much.”
“No, it isn’t Wheeler. He’s… he’s good.” She felt heat rising into her cheeks and buried her nose in the mug, but not before Bellarose shot her a knowing look.
“He’s one of the best cattle handlers this side of the Mississippi. He’s been asked to go all over, but he refuses and stays right here helping King.”
Aria looked up in surprise. Something had nagged at her about Wheeler from the start. “You don’t think he’s… stuck, do you?”
“Stuck?”
“Like, frozen in place and can’t make choices to move forward with his life. He says he never thought much about expanding his own ranch, but I wondered if that might be fear guiding him.”
She considered it for a minute. “King would be the better one to answer that question. They’ve known each other most of their lives. But no, I think it’s more the work that Wheeler loves. Being outdoors, going to bed exhausted but knowing you did your duty that day. I think to him, it doesn’t matter who owns the stock.”
“Makes sense. I just wondered if…”
“If?”
She met Bellarose’s stare head on. “If I’m not the only person who can’t make decisions. Do you believe that people run into your path in life for a reason? To show you something you’re doing wrong or right or even that you need a different path entirely?”
Bellarose nodded. “I do. You know, shortly after I signed the contract for Redemption Falls, I was offered another job, a bigger one, for more money. But I had a feeling about this one and if I’m honest with myself, it went deeper than me getting the Emmy for it last season.”
Aria smiled. It was nice to talk to someone like-minded who didn’t consider her a raving lunatic for suggesting that she might have landed in Wheeler’s barn for a reason. She couldn’t help but think he needed her and she needed him just as much in that moment of their lives. Two planets finding the same orbit.
But it was time for her to fix her path.
Maybe she could continue seeing Wheeler sometimes. Come up and check on Gusto and the girls.
And make sure Wheeler was obeying doctor’s orders about his foot.
“If I hadn’t stayed on the show, I never would have met King.” Bellarose’s smile was angelic as she talked about her hus
band, and Aria knew her love reached deeper than anyone could ever know.
“So if I hadn’t run away from Jason Lee…”
They shared another laugh, this one sad. Aria said, “Oh, poor Jason. I have to call him tonight. I can’t let more time pass.”
Bellarose patted her hand. “You know who to come talk to if you need a sympathetic ear.”
“Thank you. I haven’t had a friend here, and I realized it’s because I kept to myself. But I’d like to change that, if you don’t mind being my first friend.”
Bellarose’s eyes gleamed and she hopped off the stool to come put her arms around Aria. She hugged her back, happy to have someone for good old-fashioned girl talk.
* * * * *
“All right. What are you doing with her?” King got right to the point.
“Wow, that’s a new record. I don’t think your ass even hit that seat before the words flew out of your mouth.” Wheeler took longer to sit, lowering himself with one foot jutting out in front of him.
“You didn’t say a damn word yesterday when I was telling you how worried my wife was about Aria.”
“No, and I’m sorry for it. She asked me not to tell.”
“And again, I’ll ask what you’re doing with her.”
“Nothin’. I gave her a place to hide out a coupla days, and she helped with chores and did some things around the house too.”
King set the beer cap against the arm of the chair, which was scarred from doing that very thing, and popped the top off. “Is that why you can’t keep your eyes off her?”
Wheeler groaned. “That’s such a common thing to say. That a red-blooded man can’t keep his eyes off a beautiful woman.”
King snorted and brought the bottle to his lips. “Well, it’s true. I’ve never seen you look at someone like that before is all.”
Because he hadn’t. But he wasn’t about to admit to his buddy that he was smitten with her. He turned the topic to the horses and how the training had been going since he broke his foot. King filled him in on all the idiosyncrasies of running short-handed, and they discussed the cattle and how Schmitty and King would need to move them alone to greener pastures soon.
“Man, I wish I could ride. Don’t see why I can’t just let the foot dangle when I ride.” Wheeler swigged his beer.
