True Love at Silver Creek Ranch

Chapter Eighteen

“Lunch at Monica’s Flowers and Gifts,” Emily said with a sigh. “It’s been a while.”

They sat behind the showroom counter, crowded together shoulder to shoulder. Monica needed to be available to her customers, and Brooke and Emily were used to the interruptions.

Brooke smiled at her friend—her future sister-in-law. “Well, we’ve been in the midst of the holidays for over a month, now, and it’s almost Christmas. I’m amazed either one of you has time for me what with the tourists breaking down your doors.” She took a big bite of her chicken drumstick.

Emily exchanged a grin with Monica, and said, “It has been a good Christmas season. I’ve been open less than three months, and I already have more business than I can handle. I’ll hire some more seasonal help, but in the meantime, I’ll be looking for another full-time employee to go along with the part-time widows.”

“Good for you!” Monica cried. “I might have to hire another part-timer, too. Josh’s work is so popular, I’m getting worried he won’t be able to keep up.”

“I think he solved that,” Brooke said. “This morning he discussed hiring Adam to help him prepare the leather. There’s a lot of work, but you don’t have to be an artist to do some of it.”

The bell above the front door rang. “I’ll be back.” Monica went to deal with a customer.

“That’s nice of Adam to help Josh,” Emily said, between bites of salad, “considering you guys must be keeping him busy at the ranch. Do you enjoy working with him?”

“We get along okay,” Brooke said, opening a container of her mom’s coleslaw.

“You two seemed pretty . . . friendly last night.”

“We’re friends,” Brooke said, then filled her mouth with a forkful of coleslaw. When she still couldn’t meet Emily’s eyes, she knew her friend was watching her.

Monica came to sit back down, picked up her sandwich, then looked from Emily to Brooke with suspicion. “What did I miss?”

“She stopped looking at me after I asked about her and Adam,” Emily said slowly.

“There’s more going on, isn’t there?” Monica demanded.

Brooke swallowed. So now she was supposed to lie to her best friends? With a groan, she briefly covered her face. “I can’t talk about it.”

“You’re sleeping with him!” Monica hissed in a low voice.

Brooke winced.

Monica gasped. “You can’t even deny it!”

“Okay, okay, keep your voices down,” she whispered, glancing over her shoulder at the empty showroom. Someone walked by the front windows and paused to look at the display before moving on.

“It’s true?” Emily cried. “Nate never said anything—”

“He doesn’t know! And you can’t say a word, neither of you.”

“You’re not dating him, but you’re sleeping with him,” Monica said, sitting back in disbelief. “I don’t know what to think of this modern, twenty-first-century woman.”

“We just couldn’t keep our hands off each other—that’s all it is,” Brooke admitted at last.

Monica closed her eyes. “Oh, God, that sounds so sexy.”

“Why haven’t you said anything?” Emily asked in bewilderment. “Why the secret?”

“Because I’m his boss! Do you know how that would look to my family? The first guy we hire that’s my age, and I jump him?”

“Did you?” Monica asked with a giggle.

“No!” She hesitated, then smiled. “Not exactly.”

“But Brooke,” Emily continued, “people have office romances all the time.”

“Their offices aren’t their family business. How would sleeping with an employee look to my dad, my brothers? And besides . . . I’ve really enjoyed having this—relationship, or whatever you want to call it—all to myself, you know? It’s like my private little thrill.”

“So you like being with him?” Monica asked softly.

“I do. Even when we’re working together. He’s funny, and we never run out of things to talk about.”

“Sounds like it’s more than physical,” Monica pointed out.

“Because it is—it’s friendship. And it feels good.”

“As long as you’re happy,” Emily said, regarding her with worry.

Brooke grinned and touched both their arms. “I’m happy,” she insisted. “He makes me feel incredibly sexy and beautiful.”

When a customer entered and approached the counter, Monica got up to help. Soon she was opening coolers, displaying various bouquets that the rushed man could choose from. After ringing up the purchase, she sat back down and toyed with her celery sticks. “So I guess you didn’t appreciate the date with LeVar?”

“It wasn’t a date, and you know it,” Brooke said, wearing a mock frown. “You ambushed, then deserted me.”

“Well, I didn’t know you already had a guy in your bed,” Monica pointed out.

“And then Adam showed up at the pool tournament,” Brooke confessed. “It was pretty awkward.”

“Sounds like it would have been fun to watch,” Monica told Emily. “Guess I left too early. Did they fight over you?”

Brooke just blinked at her, then they all burst into laughter.

Monica saw to a couple more customers, and when she returned, Brooke started packing up. “I can’t stay much longer. Tyler will be coming after school.”

Emily sighed. “Okay, I’ll admit it, I feel bad Steph didn’t come to me for help with Tyler’s community service.” She lifted a hand. “And yes, I know, he probably wouldn’t have enjoyed working in a bakery.”

“No, he wouldn’t have,” Brooke insisted gently. “She really wants to help this kid, and I can’t help admiring her. I think she’s gaining a lot of maturity from this, maybe seeing how good she’s got it with a loving family.”

“True,” Emily admitted. “How’s Tyler doing?”

“It’s only been one day. I’m just teaching him about horses for now. But he’s been sort of respectful, and that’s a good thing. It probably helped that Adam worked with us, too.”

“Not one of your brothers?” Monica asked curiously.

“Nope. I admit, I was surprised. I didn’t think Adam would want to be involved with a punk kid, but he’s incredibly patient, yet firm.”

“He was a sergeant in the Marines,” Emily pointed out. “He’s used to dealing with new recruits.”

Brooke had a fleeting thought about Adam’s military past. After everything he’d told her, she thought he might have stayed as far away from Tyler as possible, but he hadn’t. Surely that was a good sign. But she couldn’t discuss his confidences, so it was time to change the subject. “Speaking of my brothers . . . Nate is insufferably happy.”

Emily grinned.

“He’s left the ranch at almost a decent hour instead of lingering too long these last couple days. He’s actually delegating, which is something that idiot brother of mine needed to do more of. You’re good for him. How are you enjoying setting up house?”

Emily blushed. “It’s wonderful being together. I keep hoping you two will find someone, fall in love, and be just as happy.” She hesitated. “Or maybe find someone who can make you happy in every way.”

“I don’t know if I’m ready for that, Em,” Brooke said. “I don’t know about her,” she added, pointing with her thumb at Monica.

“It’s Christmas—I’m too busy,” Monica insisted. “I never put any more pressure on myself during the holidays than I have to. And then I’m taking an online class in January for the flower side of my business.”

“Wow, that’s a lot of denial,” Emily said. “Maybe a nice guy will rent my apartment, and you’ll hit it off.”

“So you’re advertising it already?” Brooke asked.

Some of her disappointment must have leaked through because both women turned to stare at her.

“Why? Are you interested?” Emily leaned forward with eagerness.

Brooke sighed. “I . . . maybe. Interested, anyway. But it’s just not easy to leave my mom. She’s getting back on her feet, but . . . a relapse could happen anytime.”

“You work there all day, every day,” Monica pointed out. “You see her more than most of us ever see our moms.”

“And you’ll only live a couple miles away,” Emily added. “Oh, say you’ll rent it. I was really worried about a stranger being right above my bakery.”

“I don’t know.” Brooke felt unable to explain away her unease. On the one hand, she longed to have a place of her own, where she could be independent. She was twenty-eight years old! But on the other hand, there was her family, and all their expectations.

“I’ll tell you what,” Emily said. “I won’t advertise it until the new year. That’ll give you a few weeks to make a decision.”

Brooke smiled her relief. “Thanks.”

“She wants a love nest,” Monica said casually.

Both Brooke and Emily groaned.

The bell jingled again, and Brooke glanced over her shoulder—and did a double take. Whitney Winslow had stepped inside, looking over the flower arrangements and hometown crafts with interest.

Brooke stood up. “Hi, Whitney.”

She glanced behind the counter, then her face broke into a wide smile. “Hello, ladies! I saw the display but didn’t connect your name, Monica.”

“Can’t blame you,” Monica said, going past the counter into the showroom. “We only met a couple times.”

“I really like your merchandise.” Whitney strolled through the side of the showroom devoted to unusual gifts. “These are all locally made?”

“I sell them on consignment,” Monica said, following her. “The wedding quilts are a big seller, along with the knitted and crocheted layettes.”

“I’m interested in the leather,” Whitney mused.

Brooke gave a snort of laughter, then realized she might be offending the woman.

Whitney met her eyes and grinned. “Oh, sorry, guess that could be taken many ways. But the tooling on these purses is just so . . . exquisite. Who’s the artist?”

Before anyone could answer, a young couple came through the door. Whitney went back to browsing, and Brooke and Emily exchanged a glance. The two customers were holding hands, barely able to keep their eyes off each other. They were newly engaged, they explained, and wanted to make an appointment to discuss flower arrangements for their wedding.

When at last they left, Whitney came back to the women and gave a happy sigh. “Romance! That’s what Valentine Valley is all about, right? How can Mr. Galimi and his friends not see that my store could be a part of that?”

Brooke shrugged. “Maybe his wife makes him have sex with the lights off, and he’s never seen her nightgowns.”

They all laughed.

Whitney’s gaze strayed back to Josh’s purses. “I have to know who the artist is. Maybe I can give him some sales, and he can help be a bridge between the townspeople and me.”

“He’s my brother, Josh,” Brooke said.

“How perfect.” Whitney opened her purse and pulled out a gold business card case. “Can you give him my card? I’d love to talk to him.”

“Actually, you met him that night at the diner,” Brooke reminded her. “He helped me get you out of there.”

“Ooh.” Whitney’s eyes widened. “I had wondered who he was. He seemed to disappear like Superman reverting to Clark Kent.”

“Superman?” Brooke echoed with a grimace. “Let’s not say that to his face, okay?”

Whitney laughed. “Deal, as long as you give him my card.”

Brooke agreed, but after Whitney had left, she turned to her friends, and said, “Can you see my brother making naughty S&M leather? I don’t think so.”

“Now who’s the one judging?” Emily said, hands on her hips. “You don’t have any idea what she might want from him.”

They all looked at each other—and grinned.

The following Monday, Brooke’s dad was running an errand to a motor-supply store in Carbondale, so Brooke drove her mom to an appointment with Doc Ericson in Valentine. As they arrived back home, they could see Josh walking across the yard, Tyler trailing behind him at a sloooow pace. Brooke drove around to the ramp built to bypass the kitchen stairs, parking and helping her mom use her walker to get inside.

“You’re not going to work with Tyler?” Sandy asked.

“Josh and Adam can deal with him today. I thought we were starting on the cookie dough we mean to freeze before Christmas.”

Sandy eyed her. “Hiding from the boy already?”

Brooke grinned. “Not at all. He’s good at letting you know he’s only here because he has to be, but he’s more interested than he lets on. Smart, too. I just thought Josh should take a turn, so I could hear all about it.”

“So you think our stint as a community-service ranch is going well?”

“I do.” Brooke sat on a stool at the breakfast counter and considered her mother. “It just feels good to make a difference in someone’s life, you know? I mean, look at Adam.” She hesitated, realizing it might be a bad idea to discuss him, but it was too late now. “He was in even more trouble than Tyler, but Coach McKee took a risk and ended up making a man out of him. Adam says Coach changed his life. I wish more kids could have that opportunity. Tyler’s not bad, but his mom can’t be around much, and it’s too easy for him to hang with guys who are only interested in having a good time. Who knows if his brother is getting sucked back into the wrong crowd, too? That’s got to be bad for Tyler to see.”

“That’s two students you’ve taken on,” Sandy pointed out, seating herself with a sigh beside her daughter. “You just . . . glow when you talk about your work with them. What about taking on more students?”

Brooke chuckled, linking her arm with her mom’s. “You think Dad would approve of turning our ranch into a probation-department resource?”

Sandy laughed, too. “No, we’re too small an operation, spread too thin, to do much of that. You’ve taught Steph to barrel race because she asked, but what if you advertise yourself as a riding instructor? You’ve been teaching Tyler to ride already. You could take on other students.”

Brooke stared at her mother in surprise, feeling the revelation wash over her.

Sandy continued, “Yes, part of the year the weather will inhibit you, but you’ll manage.”

“Mom, Josh and I are the ranch foremen. I think it might take too much away from my job.”

“Josh has something he loves, sweetie. So does Nate. Do you begrudge them that?”

“No, of course not!”

“Why would they begrudge you? I think you can all work it out together. It wouldn’t be full-time, after all. And maybe Adam wants to stay on. That would really help.”

“I don’t know about that,” Brooke warned her. “When his grandma is better, he’ll probably leave. I don’t think he feels like he fits in here anymore.” She forced herself to act casually as she stood up to reach the recipe box.

“Do you think there’s something troubling him?” Sandy asked.

Brooke hesitated even as she sat back down, looking into her mom’s concerned face. “You should have seen how he reacted when people called him a hero the other night. He told me a few things about what happened to him in Afghanistan. It was . . . pretty terrible, and he blames himself when he shouldn’t.”

“They say time heals—and they wouldn’t say it so much if it wasn’t true. He seems like a strong man who’ll be able to figure things out. I don’t think you need to worry.”

But I do worry, Brooke thought bleakly, knowing she probably worried too much. She was getting more and more involved with Adam, and not just in bed.

“As for you,” Sandy continued, “give the idea of becoming an instructor some thought. It will be a challenge—but you’re good at challenges.”

Brooke leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Thanks, Mom.”

They were elbow deep in flour, making chocolate-chip-cookie batter and sugar-cookie dough, when Josh came in.

“I’m calling a family meeting,” he said.

As Doug and Nate strolled in after him, Brooke asked sharply, “There wasn’t a problem with Tyler, was there?”

“Nope, nothing to do with him,” Josh said. “Although if I say so myself, he took to my riding instruction well.”

Brooke rolled her eyes, then tapped Nate’s hand as he tried to take a fingerful of dough. “Get a spoon! And Josh, I taught that kid everything he knows, and don’t forget it.”

While Brooke and Sandy worked on the cookie dough, and Doug prepared a salad to start off dinner, Josh took a seat at the breakfast counter and gave them all a serious look.

Nate, who’d grabbed his ringing cell phone, sent it to voice mail. “What’s up?”

“You know this Aspen boutique who wants to buy some of my work?” Josh began.

Everyone nodded, and Doug added, “That’s impressive, son.”

Josh gave a half smile. “Thanks. Well, it’s getting even bigger than that. Whitney, the owner of Leather and Lace, contacted me through Brooke, and she’s interested, too—in my work.”

Nate chuckled.

“It’s not like that,” Josh said, shaking his head. “I haven’t met with her yet, and don’t know if I’d do it—I’d have to feel comfortable, after all—but, this is just getting too big for me to make decisions on my own, a bigger time commitment than I ever thought I’d make to something that was always a hobby for me.”

“You’re training Adam to prepare the leather, right?” Brooke asked, licking her finger. “That’ll help.”

“Get a spoon!” Nate commanded.

She stuck out her tongue.

“But that’s not the point.” Josh sighed. “We’re a small ranch, and we all have to work. I don’t want to make any of you work harder because I’m off doing something that will only benefit me.”

“Nobody ever said you had to devote every wakin’ moment to this ranch,” Doug said as he dumped sliced carrots into the main salad bowl. “We’ve got Adam now—and if we have to hire someone else, I think we can, right, Nate?”

Nate nodded. “We’ve really diversified the last couple years. We’re okay. I wouldn’t ever want you to feel like you owed us, Josh. Just like you showed me I could pursue my favorite part of this job, you can do the same.”

Brooke scraped her dough into a plastic container and labeled it for the freezer. She was afraid to look up, afraid to show any disappointment. Now wasn’t the time for her to bring up her own idea that would take her away from the ranch part-time. No way would she let her dad think they were all deserting their parents. Maybe she should just forget it.

Sandy cleared her throat and looked pointedly at Brooke, who shook her head quickly.

“What is it?” Doug asked.

Everyone was staring at her, and for once, words failed her. She gave her mom a pleading look, but Sandy just waited patiently for her to speak.

“Mom and I were just talking about an idea when Josh called this meeting. What a coincidence,” Brooke added with an awkward attempt at cheerfulness, looking at her hands as she washed them at the sink rather than at her family. Her nervousness showed her how much the idea of teaching kids and adults to ride already meant to her. “I’ve been enjoying working with Steph and Tyler, and thought maybe I could be a part-time riding instructor here at the ranch.”

For a moment, there was complete silence. Gritting her teeth, she made herself look at everyone, saw her mother’s encouraging smile, Josh’s grin, Nate’s eyes wide with surprise—but she couldn’t read her father’s impassivity.

“We already give sleigh rides in the winter,” Josh said. “Riding instruction would be another way to generate some tourist money and help the town out, too. We don’t have anything like that right in Valentine Valley.”

She’d known Josh would support her. She looked at Nate.

He shrugged. “I have nothing against it. If we’re already talking about keeping Adam on, if he wants it, or hiring someone else, that should cover it. Dad?”

Doug sighed. “It’s strange to know that if I’m callin’ myself ‘almost retired,’ I shouldn’t have a say in this.”

“Of course you have a say, Dad,” Brooke said earnestly. “I would never do anything you didn’t think would benefit the ranch.”

“If you three think you can make all these part-time jobs work, then it’s fine by me.”

Sandy looked relieved, but Brooke wasn’t. She didn’t feel like her dad had actually approved, but he hadn’t said no, either. Her excitement took a little hit, but she was determined to make it work.

“No point in worrying about this now,” she said briskly. “It’s almost Christmas, and we have enough to do. We’ll talk about it after the holidays.”