Читать книгу Rancher's Deadly Reunion - Beth Cornelison - Страница 13

That evening after dinner, Piper walked into the den with Josh and eyed the available seats for the family meeting. Spying her father’s big, comfy recliner, she headed for it. As did Josh. Realizing his destination, she quickened her step, as did he, until they were racing for the prized seat. They arrived from opposite angles at the same time and end up in a tangled, laughing pile that made the chair rock and creak.

Their father came in carrying a glass of lemonade and sized up the situation with a wry grin. “Joshua,” he said, lifting Zeke the cat off the couch and patting the cushion, “I’ve got a place saved for you right here.” Michael waved a hand, telling him to vacate the recliner. “Vamoose.”

Josh feigned affront. “Why me?”

“’Cause she’s prettier, and I like her more,” their dad deadpanned.

“Ha!” she gloated and shoved at her brother’s shoulder. “You heard him, Doofus. Move it!”

As Josh shoved to his feet, two new arrivals to the den caught her attention. Brady and his father. Piper’s heart slammed against her ribs, and she grabbed the back of Josh’s shirt, tugging him close enough to whisper in his ear. “What are they doing here? I thought this was a family meeting.”

“It is,” he said, straightening his shirt where she’d mussed it up. “But since they are key to the running of the ranch, we thought they would give us useful input.”

“Roy, Brady, thanks for coming,” her father said, offering his hand to their foreman to shake. “Come in. Have a seat.”

Piper avoided eye contact with Brady as he walked past her, sidestepping Zeke, who’d flopped on the floor and rolled on his back to stretch. Brady took the love seat across from her. But Roy Summers stopped in front of her with a lopsided smile. “Piper, it’s good to see you, darlin’.”

She stood and gave Brady’s father a hug. “You, too, Roy. How have you been?”

He heaved a sigh that smelled of beer. “Honestly? Not so good. It’s been a hard year.”

She bit her bottom lip and tightened her hug. “I bet it has. I’m so sorry about Scott and Pam.”

He pulled free of her embrace with a stiff nod. “Thanks.”

Pausing to rub Zeke’s belly, Roy moved to take his seat on the sofa next to Josh and Zane, and when Piper turned to reclaim the recliner, she found her father had stolen it. Her father gave her an unrepentant grin, and she grunted her protest. “Dad!”

Josh chortled as she searched the remaining seats for an empty spot. Her mother was in her favorite armchair, which meant the last seat left was the other half of the narrow love seat. Next to Brady. Schooling her expression to hide her dismay, she sank onto the cushions, trying not to brush against Brady.

“All right, boys,” her father said, turning up his palms as he divided a glance between Zane and Josh. “We’re all here. What is this about?”

“Yeah, um...” Josh rubbed his hands on his thighs as his eyes met his twin’s gaze. “Zane and I have come up with an idea for the ranch that we think will add enough revenue to help pull us out of the financial crunch we’re feeling.”

Piper’s stomach clenched anew at the idea that the family business—their home and way of life—could be facing a crisis large enough to threaten their future. Beside her, Brady settled back on the love seat, adjusting his position in such a way that his elbow poked her upper arm. She tried to ignore the casual contact. She needed to focus on what her brothers were saying and not on her seatmate. She bent over and snapped her fingers near her ankles, hoping to entice Zeke to come to her. The cat raised his head and looked her way but refused to answer her summons. She’d have to find another distraction from Brady’s proximity. Sending the Maine coon a thanks-for-nothing glare, she readjusted her position, trying to appear relaxed while staying as far to her side of the seat as possible.

“In looking for new sources of income, we knew that in order to make any new ventures a success, we needed to look at areas we were already skilled in,” Zane added.

“Besides the cattle business, the thing Zane and I know best is adventure sports. Rock climbing, white water rafting, rappelling and the like.” Josh’s expression grew animated as he named the high-adrenaline activities he and Zane had mastered in the nearby Rocky Mountains.

“So we thought we could share that knowledge, that love of adrenaline, with others,” Zane said, picking up the explanation in a seamless back and forth of input, the twins practically finishing each other’s sentences.

Brady shifted his position on the love seat, resting his arm along the back. Piper sensed more than saw the move, and her skin prickled with an awareness of his arm so near her shoulders. She could tell he’d recently showered. The crisp scent of his soap mingled with a more woodsy aroma of deodorant or other body product, teasing her nose...and her imagination. She struggled to focus on what her brothers were saying instead of the body heat and sultry scents that radiated from her seatmate. She sat taller, keeping her back stiff as she perched at the front of the cushion in order to avoid touching him. Even the thought of his arm brushing the back of her neck sent distracting ripples of disquiet dancing along her nerves.

“We can renovate the bunkhouse to lodge paying guests,” Zane continued, “and take people out to Grandpa’s tract of land on hiking, camping and adventure-sports outings.”

“Sorta like a dude ranch but with the focus being the sports and extra activities. An adventure ranch.” Josh paused briefly, casting his gaze around the room, clearly gauging his family’s reaction. “We’ll show people stuff about the ranch, riding horses and working with the cattle, but the highlight will be a camping and hiking trip where we rock climb, raft, zip-line...whatever.”

Zane picked up the thread, his eyes alight with a fiery passion for the idea. “The point being to give adventure seekers the chance to do the kind of stuff they come to the mountains to do in combination with the ranch experience.”

Piper caught her brothers’ excitement, knowing they wouldn’t have brought this idea to the family without having a plan to make it work. Zane, the workhorse and responsible one of the triplets, would have addressed the details, at least.

Their father knitted his brow. “Have you looked into the cost of liability insurance for something like this? Start-up costs? The advertising expense to get people to come?”

“We’ve done preliminary inquiries with a few insurance companies and have drawn up a list of start-up costs.” Zane paused for a beat, leaning down to idly scratch Zeke’s ears as the cat rubbed against his legs. Glancing up from the cat, Piper’s brother pulled his mouth into a moue of regret. “Getting the ball rolling will be costly, but Josh and I can take out a business loan—”

Their mother made a soft sound of displeasure.

Zane gave their mother a quick, we’ll-be-okay grin and continued, “And we’ll do the lion’s share of the work in order to keep the cost of salaries to a minimum.”

“Our plan is not to go full-scale right off the bat,” Josh jumped in. “We’ll do smaller, more manageable trips at first while we figure out what works and where we need to make changes.” He faced their father and included Roy with a glance and a nod. “We don’t want to cause any trouble with the cattle operations or burden anyone with unmanageable workloads.”

“Of course, we’d love to have any help or expertise you want to offer,” Zane said, “and we’ll pay any ranch staff that contributes time and skills to the effort.”

“What time frame are you looking at? When do you hope to have your first guests take one of these trips?” Roy asked.

Her brothers exchanged a look, and Josh said, “We’d love to get this off the ground as soon as possible. We’ll start the renovation work on the bunkhouse this month and shoot for our first trip in the spring. Around April?”

A meditative silence fell over the group as their parents and Roy, judging by their expressions, mulled over the idea and formulated more questions. Piper hazarded a quick side-glance to Brady, and as if he felt her gaze, he angled his head to meet her eyes. Her pulse stuttered, and a warmth stole through her. To hide her reaction to him, which she feared showed on her face, she pasted on a grin and turned to her brothers.

“I love the idea! It makes sense, considering we aren’t using the bunkhouse now. It uses your talents and passion for outdoor recreation in a profitable way. And vacation ranches are very popular. I read an article in the airline magazine—not this trip but one I took for business a couple months ago—that talked about how popular adventure sports are becoming.” She knew she was prattling, filling the silence and hoping everyone would credit the flush in her cheeks and at her neck to excitement for the plan rather than Brady’s unsettling proximity.

Zane and Josh beamed, and after exchanging a brief but meaningful look, Josh said, “I’m glad you think so, because we have a proposal for you.”

Piper blinked her surprise. “For me?”

Zane nodded and scooted to the edge of the sofa as he leaned toward her, hands on his knees. “We want you on our team.”

She chuckled warily. “I am. I just said I was behind you, that I liked the idea.”

“No, not behind us. Beside us. A joint effort,” Zane clarified.

She tipped her head in query. “You want me to invest in the start-up? I...guess I could give you—”

“Not your money,” Josh interrupted, then flipping up a palm, “Well, maybe some money. Down the road. But right now what we are asking is for you to work with us. To be part of this.”

Piper’s heartbeat thundered against her ribs. “I don’t unders—”

“Move back home, Piper. Be our accountant, our bookkeeper, office manager...”

When Josh paused, Zane added, “Be our partner. We want you to do this thing with us. You’re the third part of the McCall Trouble Trio. And we want you to be one third of the whole venture, expenses, profits, duties. We want your talent, your education, your experience with finance. Not just for the adventure ranch but to help save the Double M.”

Her heart swelled hearing her brothers ask her to join them. To be included. To be wanted and needed by them. Her throat tightened with the same damn emotions that had ambushed her earlier in her bedroom.

Josh reached for her hand and squeezed it. “You belong here, Piper. Not in Boston.”

Frowning, she pulled her hand back. “Excuse me! I like my life in Boston. I have a good job and friends and—” She cut herself off with a disgruntled huff.

Stunned by her brothers’ request, she flopped back on the love seat, heedless of how doing so meant Brady’s arm was now draped close to her shoulders, his warm forearm pressed to her nape. Flattered as she was by their proposal—Josh’s Boston comment aside—the notion of leaving Boston and moving back to the ranch was daunting. Giving up her income, giving up the little apartment that she’d decorated to fit her style, giving up her friends...could she do that?

But coming back to the Double M would mean being near her roots, her family.

And being near Brady, she realized, her heart shuddering to a stop. She sucked in a sharp breath as her pulse now lurched to a gallop, and she became acutely aware of the heat of Brady’s arm against her neck, the weight of his penetrating gaze. The sensation of a thousand champagne bubbles bursting tingled in her belly and skittered from her neck to her fingertips. She swallowed hard and, knowing all eyes were on her, waiting for her response, she forced her tongue to work.

“I...don’t know. I’m honored that you asked. Truly, it means a lot to me that you want me to be part of this...”

“Of course we want you, Pipsqueak. You’re a McCall. This ranch is as much your legacy as ours.” Zane flashed her a gentle smile. “In fact, you could say it’s your duty, your family obligation to help save the ranch.”

Josh smirked and tipped his head toward his brother as if to say, Yeah. What he said.

“Boys, don’t guilt-trip her. Being part of the family doesn’t come with strings attached,” their mother fussed. “Piper, dear, I know you love your life in Boston, and moving home to be part of the boys’ venture is a big decision. Don’t let them pressure you.”

She nodded, then shook her head, not really knowing what she wanted to convey. Her hands were shaking, and her thoughts spun like a dust devil. “I have to think about it. I just don’t know...”

“Can you give us an answer before you go home next week?” Josh asked.

“Joshua, your mother just said not to pressure her.” Their dad arched an eyebrow at the twins. “You just hit her with this. Give her breathing room.”

She flashed her dad a smile of thanks and fell silent again, thinking, stewing...and trying to suppress her body’s sensitivity to the man beside her. His every subtle movement or heavy breath, each side-glance or faint whiff of his scent managed to scatter her thoughts and throw all of her senses into a tizzy.

Finally, she said, “I need more detail. How far have you gotten working out fees and expenses, insurance, construction, logistics? There’s a million little things that could trip you up if you don’t have a well-thought-out plan.”

“I have to say,” Roy said quietly, “I agree with Piper.”

Zane and Josh were nodding.

“Of course,” Josh said. He launched into a deeper discussion of how the trips would be planned, how they would convert and upgrade the bunkhouse, and the contractors they’d talked to about rigging up a zip-line on the scenic property in the foothills of the Rockies that the family had inherited from the triplets’ grandfather. The adventure tours was the perfect use for the property that couldn’t be sold thanks to their grandfather’s wily will stipulations and bequests.

Zane took over when questions turned to financing, liability and staffing.

Piper had to admit, her brothers had given the idea a lot of thought, and their passion for the project was a vibrant, breathing presence in the room.

“Wow,” Piper muttered, when Zane finished speaking and cast his glance around the room.

“I’m proud of you, boys,” their father said. “You’ve put a lot of work in this, and I believe the idea has merit.”

Melissa said nothing, but the shine in her eyes and the wide smile she gave her sons spoke plenty.

Zane glanced toward the love seat. “Well, Piper?”

“It’s a lot to consider, dork.” She gave him a wry grin. “Give me a chance to process.”

“Any other questions?” Josh asked, shifting an expectant gaze from face to face.

“Brady,” Zane said after a few beats, breaking the silence, “you haven’t said anything.”

Brady grew still, then sitting forward and splaying his legs slightly, he propped his forearms on his thighs and pressed his fingertips against each other. His change of position meant his leg touched hers from knee to hip, and it took all her composure not to jerk away as if burned. But the heat of his body penetrated to her marrow and flowed deep into the dark spaces where she’d tried for years to lock away her memories of him, of young love and what could have been.

“Not sure it’s my place to weigh in,” Brady replied, and the low rumble of his voice vibrated in her chest, in her soul.

“We wouldn’t have asked you here if we didn’t value your opinion. You know ranching as well as anyone in the room, and you’ve gone rock climbing and rafting with us out at Grandpa’s property. We’re hoping you’ll be on our staff, help us get up and running.”

She held her breath, waiting for Brady’s reply, thinking of what it would mean to live close to him again, see him daily, if she accepted her brothers’ request. The thumping in her chest that echoed like a drumbeat in her ears had to be loud enough for Brady to hear. She balled her hands in her lap and fought to calm her ragged nerves. She’d come so far in her healing, in making a fresh start for herself. Or so she’d thought.

And now her brothers, whom she loved deeply and shared a special triplet bond with, wanted her to move back to Colorado. To be a part of a new and exciting project, part of saving the family ranch. To be included in a venture, a closely held dream for themselves and the family business. What would she have given in high school to have felt that kind of inclusion, to have believed she was as important to the ranch as her brothers?

Brady lifted a shoulder and said simply, “I like it. I’m behind you whatever you decide.”

“Great! Thanks, man,” Zane said while Josh beamed with relief. “Maybe you could help us persuade Piper, then?”

She shot a glare toward Zane that went ignored.

Brady turned his face to study her profile, and a prickly flush started on her neck and crept to her cheeks, sinking to her soul.

When he spoke, his voice was hushed, tinged with a note of sadness that arrowed to her heart. “I’m not sure I have any influence with her anymore. Can’t say I ever really did, truth be told.”

She met his piercing green gaze, and a fist of regret and grief clamped around her throat. “That’s not true,” she whispered for only him to hear.

“You sure about that?” he said, his voice pitched low to match hers. “I remember things differently.”

She drew and expelled a ragged breath. “This isn’t the time or place.”

“I agree.”

She tore her gaze away from his, masking her hurt and discomfort from her family with a trembling half smile and lift of her chin.

Brady was undeterred, whispering, “But since you seem to want to avoid me, we’ve never had another opportunity.”

“Stop,” she growled under her breath.

He heaved a weary sigh, and his shoulders slumped as he dropped his focus to his boots. “Later then.”

Later? No. Not if she could help it. She was so tempted to get back on a plane and flee the ranch for the safety of Boston, the safety of distance from Brady. But she’d come for her parents’ anniversary celebration, and she refused to leave before the weekend party. Standing up her parents, disappointing them was unthinkable.

The awkward expressions her family wore told her the exchange with Brady had not gone unnoted. Josh scratched his chin and rolled his eyes, while Zane clapped his hands together once and said, “Well, that’s the plan. Any other ideas or questions before we call it a night?”

Roy rose from his seat and jammed his hands in his back pockets. “If you guys want me to take a look at that business plan with you, especially as it relates to the activities happening on the ranch premises, the bunkhouse renovation and so forth, give me a holler. I’m glad to help where I can.”

Josh stepped forward to shake Roy’s hand. “Thanks. We appreciate that.”

Piper’s mother and father also stood and approached the twins, and Brady used the moment to lean closer, his breath warm against her ear. “We need to talk.”

Piper shoved to her feet and sent him a quelling glare. “No, we don’t.” Then softening her tone and digging for a tight smile, she added, “Thanks again for getting me at the airport today. Tell Connor I said good night.”

“Piper—” He reached for her hand, and she jolted at the warm scrape of his callused palm closing around her fingers.

“Good night, Brady,” she said firmly, although she heard the telltale crack in her tone. Pulling free of his grasp, she clutched her now-tingling hand to her chest and rushed from the den.

Her brothers had given her so much to consider, possibilities that she’d once longed for with her whole heart. If she’d felt she had a place here at the ranch after high school, would she have followed the same path, made the same choices she had back then?

Regret was a bitter pill, and she knew second-guessing herself served no purpose. For seven years she’d dealt with the hard choices she’d made. She’d not looked back. Yet in only a few hours of being back at her family’s ranch this trip, her world had been upended. She couldn’t deny a part of her longed to move back to the Double M. What a cherished honor it would be to take an active role in saving the ranch, her family legacy.

But was she strong enough to have Brady in her life again? Leaving him in the past had been hard enough. The past needed to stay buried. Because if Brady became a regular part of her life again, the walls she’d built to protect her heart would come crumbling down.

From his position at the top of a ridge, Ken squinted through his telephoto lens and brought the Double M Ranch buildings into focus. Figuring out which one was the main house, where Piper would be staying, was easy enough. The main house was the biggest building and had a long front porch with rocking chairs, a river-rock chimney and large windows that glowed with warm golden light. Through process of elimination, he would figure out soon enough which window was Piper’s bedroom.

As he studied the house, two men emerged through the front door and shuffled across the ranch yard toward a house nearer the stables. Several dogs yipped and raced around, following the men.

Damn it! The presence of dogs meant he’d have to be extra careful when he approached the buildings. Dogs were living security alarms. From his vantage point, one appeared to be a yellow Labrador retriever, and the other two were medium-sized black-and-white dogs with big pointy ears. Ken lowered the lens for a minute, thinking. What were those dogs called? Shepherds? No, blue heelers. Smart dogs, he’d heard. Sighing his frustration, he made a note on his pad to figure the mutts into the equation, then raised the high-powered lens again, snapping pictures.

Zooming in on the faces of the cowboys, he discovered one was older, maybe fifty or sixty years, and the other was the guy that had driven Piper from the airport that afternoon. The guy who’d been too familiar with her, held her too long when she’d stumbled, watched her too closely when she hadn’t known he was looking. But Ken had seen it all, and he didn’t need a crystal ball to know this guy meant trouble. The younger cowboy with too much interest in Piper had to be dealt with.

Ken clenched his teeth and lowered the camera with the powerful lens. Piper belonged to him, and if anyone or anything posed a threat to the future he had planned for them, Ken swore that threat would be eliminated.