“Alec,” she cried. “Are you okay?”
His face was frighteningly pale, but he gave a little nod as he pushed himself away from the wall. Rebecca raced towards him and dropped to her knees, throwing her arms around his neck. Alec pulled her close and returned her embrace, curling his fingers around the ends of her hair.
At the moment she didn’t care why he’d come down here or how Shania had found him or what had happened last night. None of that mattered right now.
All that mattered was that he was safe.
Chapter 40
It was late morning by the time they arrived back at the ranch and got Alec over to the emergency room. By some miracle, his ankle wasn’t broken, but the MRI did reveal two torn ligaments.
“It definitely didn’t help that you couldn’t get here right away,” the doctor said. “But it could have been a lot worse. I’m going to send you home with a supportive brace to wear for the next couple of weeks. With the proper rest and a lot of ice, you should heal up just fine without surgery.”
Alec looked as relieved as Rebecca felt when the doctor ordered the paperwork for his release. “Do you think you’ll still be able to do your dedication ride?” she asked.
He nodded. “I’ll have to modify it a bit. I don’t know how much of the groundwork I’ll be able to do. But I don’t see any reason why I can’t ride bareback for a few minutes.”
He smiled and lifted his arm, wordlessly inviting her to join him. She rose from her chair and stretched out beside him, resting her cheek against his shoulder.
“I’m glad you’re okay,” she whispered.
Alec kissed her forehead. “Me, too.”
“And I’m so glad Shania knew where to find you. Even Tommy had never been in that part of the valley before.”
“Well, don’t worry. I don’t frequent the place.”
Rebecca didn’t miss the odd tone in his voice. She lifted her face to study his eyes and frowned at his troubled expression. “What is it?”
He reached up to push her hair behind her ear. “You know what I was thinking about last night? As the bear was coming towards us?”
She shook her head.
“I was thinking that you’d never have any way of knowing the truth.”
“The truth about what?”
Alec slid his hand behind her head, wordlessly pulling her face towards his. When their lips met, Rebecca suddenly realized how unfounded her fears had been. Alec was a man of integrity; he always had been and he always would be.
She had no reason to be jealous of the bond he’d once shared with Shania, because it could never compare to the bond that they shared as husband and wife.
“Speaking of the truth,” she added once she pulled back, “there’s someone else on the ranch who needs to hear it. Someone who’s been waiting to hear it for a long time.”
Alec grimaced. “I don’t even know what to say at this point,” he said, dropping his gaze to the floor. “She’s so angry with me right now.”
“Well, of course she is. She hasn’t gotten what she came here for.”
He frowned in confusion. “And what’s that?”
Rebecca gave a gentle smile. “Closure.”
*
The week before Labor Day weekend was their final week at full occupancy before the summer started to wind down. Already tiny splashes of gold were popping up in the aspen grove, indicating that autumn was right around the corner.
In an unexpected stroke of luck, Alec received a call from the game department that they’d finally managed to locate and trap the grizzly. A few hours later, the bear was safely being relocated to an isolated area north of Yellowstone Park.
“Thanks for everything,” Alec told the game warden before he hung up the phone. Then he slumped over in his chair and rested his forehead against the desk, feeling an enormous weight lift from his shoulders.
“You okay?”
He raised his head to see Rebecca standing in the doorway. “Fine,” he assured her. “The bear is on his way out of here.”
“Thank goodness,” she replied, striding over to join him. “Tommy asked us if we wanted to have dinner with him and Liz at his place tonight. He said they’ve got a few things they want to run by us.”
Alec tried to ignore the uneasy sensation in his stomach as he and Rebecca made their way down to Tommy’s cabin. While he couldn’t be happier that his friend was getting married, he realized that the change in circumstance could potentially affect his employment, too. Alec didn’t know if Liz would want to live on the ranch, or if Tommy would even want to continue to work here after he was married.
He didn’t realistically expect Tommy to live and work here forever, but he also couldn’t imagine how they’d manage without him.
Liz opened the cabin door and gave a friendly smile. “Hi,” she said, opening the door wider. “Come on in.”
Alec couldn’t help but grin when Liz greeted Rebecca with a hug. At some point over the summer, Liz had finally seemed to warm to her, and he was glad for that. Tommy was his closest friend, so it would be unfortunate if their wives didn’t get along.
The four of them settled at Tommy’s dining table and chatted easily about the upcoming wedding. “I think we’ve decided on early next summer,” Tommy said. “Maybe the beginning of May, before the season really kicks in here. We’ve talked a lot about where we want to live afterwards, and what seems to make the most sense–if it’s alright with the two of you–is for me to stay right where I’m at and have Liz move in here.”
Alec had rarely been so relieved to hear something. “I thought you were about to tell me that this would be your last summer here.”
Tommy gave a knowing grin. “This is my home. And I’d like it to continue to be my home even after I’m married.”
“It’s your home for as long as you want it to be.”
“You guys really don’t mind if I live here, too?” Liz asked.
Rebecca sent her a quizzical stare. “Why would we?”
“I don’t know. Because I’m not an employee.”
“Well, we can put you to work if you want,” Alec assured her. “Especially during the summer when school’s out.”
Liz laughed. “That could happen.”
“You don’t think you’ll mind the commute?” Rebecca asked.
She shrugged. “I’m out here all the time, anyway, so I’m already used to the drive. It’s really not that bad.”
Tommy turned back to Alec. “There’s something else, too. We were wondering if you’d consider letting us have the wedding here.”
“If it’s too much, we completely understand,” Liz added. “It’s just that we looked at a few places in town and they’re–”
“Liz,” Rebecca interjected. “We’d be happy to host your wedding.”
Alec nodded in agreement, and Tommy dropped an arm around his fiancée’s shoulders. “See? I told you they’d be fine with it.”
“Is there anything else?” Alec asked.
“Actually, there is. I’m going to ask Jeff and Jake to be my groomsmen. I’d like you to be my best man.”
Alec had expected as much–after all, Tommy had been his best man–but he was still delighted by the offer. “I’d be honored.”
From across the table, Liz sent Rebecca a warm smile. “And I’d love for you to be one of my bridesmaids.”
Rebecca was visibly surprised. “Really?”
“Yes, really. I want you and Alli both to be in my bridal party.”
Moments later, when Liz went to the kitchen to get dessert, Alec leaned close to Rebecca’s ear. “And you thought she didn’t like you.”
*
The evening before the Labor Day Rodeo, the lounge was once again packed with guests. Alec didn’t need to go down there–Ryan’s crew had the place under control–but he did need to find Shania. She was leaving this weekend, and if he didn’t say anything now, he wouldn’t get his chance.
To his surprise, he didn’t see her in
the lounge. The rest of his wranglers were there, playing pool in the corner, but Shania was nowhere to be seen. With a frown, he turned and headed back up the steps, treading lightly on his healing ankle. He could walk without a crutch now–he’d only needed it for the first few days–but the doctor had warned him not to overdo it.
For once, Alec was trying not to. His shoulder injury still caused him enough grief; he didn’t need to add a bad ankle to the list.
He was passing through the lodge when he noticed someone sitting on a picnic table on the patio. He turned and headed in that direction, pausing in the foyer to drop a few quarters into the vending machine. After making his selection, he continued through the doors and made his way across the patio.
He didn’t ask if he could join her; he merely took a seat and opened his bag of M&M’s. “So when are you heading out?”
“Tomorrow,” Shania replied, keeping her eyes fixed on the horizon. “Right after the rodeo.”
“You gonna drive up there?”
She nodded. “I’ll stop at home for a night or two. It’s not that far out of the way.”
“Where is home these days?”
“A little town called Tillamook, right on the coast. I bought a cabin there a couple years ago.”
“I bet it’s pretty.”
“It’s beautiful. It sits in this big sweeping bay that opens right up to the ocean.”
Alec was silent for a moment. “You know, I’ve still never seen the ocean.”
Shania finally turned to look at him. “No?”
“No.”
One look at her face reminded him that they couldn’t make small talk forever. He wordlessly reached for her hand and opened her fingers, dropping the contents of his hand into hers.
She looked down and gave a dejected smile when she saw a pile of green M&M’s. “Is this a peace offering?”
“Something like that.” Alec drew in a silent breath and leaned forward, saying the two words that he was long overdue to say. “I’m sorry.”
She met his gaze again. “How far back does that sorry go?”
“As far back as you need it to.”
He saw tears well in her eyes before she squeezed them shut and bowed her head. Automatically he scooted closer and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She caved in without argument, giving a quiet sniffle as she buried her face in the crook of his neck.
“If it’s any consolation,” he continued softly, “you are the last person I ever wanted to hurt. What I did to you has torn me up every day since you left. But I was naïve and I was scared, and at the time I honestly believed that I was doing the best thing for both of us.”
“We were both naïve,” she admitted, pulling back to look at him. “I’ve spent all these years thinking that you’d rejected me.”
Alec shook his head. “I’ve only loved two women, Shania. You were the first.”
She gave a watery smile. “Honestly, I don’t know how long I would have lasted here. Now that I look back at everything, I was blinded by my feelings. But this summer I’ve gotten a taste of what your everyday life is like, and I know now that despite how much I cared about you and your father, I never could have done this long-term.”
Shania rested her hand on his. “It did hurt, Alec. It hurt for a long time. But you were right all along. I think we both ended up exactly where we were supposed to be.”
Her words lifted an enormous weight from his shoulders. He raised her hand and gently kissed it, letting his lips linger for a moment before he spoke again.
“Some things will never change. You’ll always be my oldest friend.”
A grin tugged at the corner of her mouth. “Well, that’s a given, since you’re surrounded by people half our age.”
He chuckled and gave her a playful nudge. “That’s not what I meant.”
“I know.” She was silent for a moment, thoughtfully studying his eyes. “Do you think it would have worked? Between us, I mean?”
“If life hadn’t gotten in the way?” He gave a little nod. “Probably.”
Shania seemed pleased with his response. “I hope you know how much I admire Rebecca. For her to take on all of this, especially with how young she is…it says a lot about her. I understand exactly why you married her.”
Alec searched her eyes. “So what about you?”
“What about me?”
“You have so much to offer someone. When are you going to give yourself the chance to?”
To his surprise, a flush spread across her cheeks. “Well, I did finally let your kitchen manager take me out to dinner.”
He nearly toppled off the table. “Ryan?”
“Yeah. He can be quite persistent.”
He stared at her in disbelief. “And how did it go?”
“Terribly. He’s a nice guy and everything, but all he talked about all night was the Yankees.” She gave a rueful grin. “I didn’t have the heart to tell him that I’m a Tigers fan.”
Alec couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so amused. He doubled over in his seat and buried his face in his hands, laughing until his sides ached. When he finally managed to compose himself, he dropped his arm around her shoulders again and gave her an affectionate squeeze.
“I’m going to miss you,” he confessed.
Shania nodded. “I’ll miss you, too.”
Chapter 41
Rebecca awoke in the middle of the night to find herself alone. She frowned when she glanced at the clock on the nightstand and saw that it was nearly three in the morning. With a tired sigh, she pushed herself out of bed and tiptoed down the stairs.
Alec was sitting in front of the television, watching an old videotape of one of his father’s seminars. If he noticed her enter the living room, he didn’t indicate it. He was completely engrossed in Walter’s performance, even pausing and rewinding the video at certain points.
She silently stepped up behind the couch to study Walter’s mannerisms herself. He was young, maybe Alec’s age now, with a commanding presence that filled the auditorium. A buckskin gelding was circling around him at a steady trot, and the signals Walter gave the horse were so imperceptible that she wouldn’t have even noticed them if she hadn’t seen Alec using the same commands with Shadow. The horse gave a beautiful performance, even bending his foreleg to give a bow for his audience.
Alec paused the video again, staring at the image of his father’s face. “I don’t know if I can do this, Bec.”
She touched his shoulder. “I didn’t think you heard me.”
“I heard you.” He turned his head. “Thank you for letting me finish.”
Rebecca took a seat beside him and he dropped his arm around her shoulders, letting out a deep breath as he leaned his head against hers. “They’re going to run part of this video tomorrow on the big screen. Dan called me earlier and asked if I’d like to say a few words beforehand.”
“And what are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking it will be a miracle for me to get through the ride. I don’t think I’ll have the voice to actually say anything.”
“Then let your ride speak for you,” she said, pulling back to look at him. “You and Onyx are so beautiful together. You won’t have to say a word.”
He smiled and gave her a soft kiss. “It’s not that I doubt my ability,” he added, gazing back at the television. “It’s just that my father was such a showman. He walked into an arena and you could hear a pin drop.”
Rebecca reached for his face and forced their eyes to meet. “When you and Onyx walk into that arena tomorrow night, you will also be able to hear a pin drop. I promise.”
*
The day, of course, truly belonged to Alec, but that didn’t mean that Tommy and Rebecca weren’t going to try for a sweep of the team roping series.
Besides, it provided the perfect excuse to get Walter out of the house. The old man simply thought that he was attending the rodeo to see his daughter-in-law compete, so he had no idea what Alec had in store for him.<
br />
“Alright, Pop,” he said over breakfast. “Make sure you take a nice long nap today so you’re ready for tonight. The shuttle will be here to pick you up at five o’clock. Lucy’s going to get you ready and ride over with you. I’ll meet you as soon as you get there.”
Walter smiled. “I’m looking forward to it.”
Tommy was pulling the horse trailer around when Alec approached the barn. “You riding over with us?” he called.
Alec nodded. “I need to meet with Dan and run through a practice session before people start showing up.”
The barn was even busier than usual for a Saturday morning. Holly and Jake were leading horses into the corral for the second set of riding lessons. Rebecca had Star cross-tied in the aisle and was brushing her chestnut coat to a ruby-red gleam. Tommy was hauling hay nets and water buckets into the trailer for the horses to use on their journey over.
Onyx popped his head over the stall door and whinnied loudly, as if he knew it was a special day. “Well, I’m glad you’re ready, buddy,” Alec greeted the horse. “That makes one of us.”
Soon they had Onyx, Star, and Joaquin loaded securely into the trailer. Rebecca and Tommy took their time going through the dressing room to ensure they had everything they needed, but Alec didn’t have to.
The only thing he needed was his horse.
His thoughts were interrupted when a gentle hand touched his shoulder. “Good luck tonight.”
He smiled before he even turned around. “Thanks. Do you want to ride over with us?”
Shania shook her head. “I’ve still got to pack. But I’ll be over later.”
He gave her a pointed look. “Make sure I see you before you leave.”
“You will,” she assured him.
The rodeo grounds were refreshingly quiet when the three of them arrived. A few trailers were already there, but most of the competitors wouldn’t show up until later in the day. Tommy parked the truck near the arena barn and they all climbed out to unload their horses. Alec stopped dead in his tracks, though, when he noticed the long line of posters that were plastered to the fence.
Indian Summer Page 27
