Branded (15 page)

Chapter Eighteen

About a half hour after picking Callie’s grandfather up at the hangar where they’d parked the jet, I pulled into the auction arena. Part of me was excited to show him the horses we were going to buy, but seeing Callie’s grandfather just brought it all home. It had been twenty-four hours since I’d last seen her, and it only made me want her all the more. Dammit. Shorty had been right. I had it bad.

I love her.

“You coming?” Mr. Llewellyn asked. I’d been sitting there staring out the window like a dumbass.

Most ridiculous thing ever. Neither one of us was at a place in our lives when something like this should be happening. She was busy with school, and I had responsibilities that would keep me in Texas. It would never work. It was stupid to even think about it. But my fucking heart wouldn’t let it go.

I was no good for her. She was all sunshine and light, and I just wasn’t.

Mr. Llewellyn clapped his hands together. “Cole, I can’t wait to see these horses you’ve been talking about. It’s going to be a good day, boys, a damn good day.”

I’d had a few too many beers the night before, so I could have done with less clapping. But I smiled. The old man was a good guy, and I wouldn’t disappoint him.

“Yes, sir.”

Me and Shorty followed him into the arena and took our seats in the box with his name on it. It took everything I had to focus on the auction, to explain how the breeding stock would strengthen the line of appaloosas already stabled at the ranch. At the end of the day, we went home with three of the finest horses money could buy, and a prized bull that had gone for top dollar but would be worth every penny come stud time.

After settling up and figuring out transport, we were walking out of the arena and Mr. Llewellyn’s phone rang. “I’ll meet you two at the truck.”

He motioned us away, but I heard, “So you think she’s running away from something?”

I glanced back to find Mr. Llewellyn watching me. Shit. What was that about? Was it Callie? Surely she hadn’t taken off without letting them know where she was going. I was tempted to take out my phone and call her, but she’d made it clear. She wasn’t my problem anymore.

“Shorty, I’m going to need you to drop me and Cole at the airfield. An emergency has come up, and I need to get home. Cole, you’re coming with me. I’ve got something I need to talk to you about.”

“Yes, sir.” Shit. What was going on? “But shouldn’t I stay here and help Shorty with the transport? We’re going to need an extra trailer for the bull.”

“Guerrero and Hank are meeting us at the airport. My wife, being the brilliant woman she is, flew them up on a commercial flight a few hours ago. She’s been trying to get in touch. Damn phones weren’t working in the arena. But when I didn’t answer, she took matters in her own hands. They’ll ride back with Shorty.”

“Is everything all right? Did something happen…at the ranch?” I cleared my throat. She had to be okay. Mr. Llewellyn didn’t seem worried, just in a rush to get back.

“It’ll be fine. But we need to get back fast.”

An hour later, we were on the private jet. I’d never seen anything like it. All cream leather and dark woods. There was a bedroom in the back and a full bathroom. I sat across from Mr. Llewellyn at a table, my leg shaking with a bad case of nerves. I was wondering what all this was about. Why would they need me to come back so fast? Oh hell, unless it was Addy or Uncle Charlie.

“Is my family all right?”

He glanced up from the papers he’d been looking at. “What? Oh, yes. Sorry. Everyone is fine.” Then he went back to looking at the papers.

I’d only flown a couple of times, and those flights had been short ones from Houston to Amarillo, and the planes I’d been on were nothing like this.

“We’ll be taking off in five. You need to buckle up,” one of the pilots said as he came out of the cockpit. We both buckled up.

“Son, there’s something I need to discuss with you.” Mr. Llewellyn’s eyebrows drew together.

Crap. This couldn’t be good.

“The work you’ve been doing around the ranch, the initiative you’ve shown, and well, it’s admirable.” He paused.

“Thank you,” I said. But I wasn’t sure where he was going with this. All I’d done was simplify some things and written some computer programs to help automate and organize the system. I’d done it all in the hopes of making my uncle’s transition back to foreman as easy as possible.

“I’d like you to come work for me,” he said.

“I thought I was working for you.” I didn’t mean to sound like an idiot, but I was confused.

“At my company,” he said. “You’ve shown yourself to be quite the asset, and I’d like to bring you in. Maybe in the IT department, where you could help bring us up to speed. I’ve been talking to my management team, and it seems we’re due an upgrade. I think you’d be perfect for the job. It’s a lot of numbers and research and figuring out what systems would be best for everything that we do. I have my hand in a lot of pies, or a lot of irons in the fire, as it were,” he said.

He was offering me a job at his company. A dream job. Holy shit. The kind of job where I could afford to take care of Addy, and I wouldn’t have to rely on my uncle’s help.

“That’s kind of you.”

“Nothing kind about it. I have a plan. One where I someday see you taking over the reins.”

Cole coughed. He couldn’t help it. “Excuse me?”

“You remind me of myself, only you’re a hell of a lot smarter. But you think fast on your feet, and you have an innate sense of what’s needed and how to make it happen. I’m not sure you understand how rare you are.”

That might have been the nicest thing anyone had ever said to me.

And damn if this wasn’t something I wanted more than anything.

Something niggled at the back of my brain, and as hard as I tried to push it away, I couldn’t.

“Sir, thank you. I’m not going to lie, that’s pretty much the greatest opportunity I’ve ever had.”

He frowned. “I hear a but coming.”

“Well, there’s something I need to tell you, and it might change the way you think about me. And I’ll understand if you want to throw me off the plane without a parachute.”

Mr. Llewellyn leaned back and crossed his arms. “Is that so?”

I nodded. “This isn’t easy for me. And all I ask is that you don’t take your anger out on my sister or my uncle. I’m hoping you’ll let me finish up the job until he comes back full-time, but I’ll also understand if you feel differently.”

“Maybe you better just get on with it.”

My throat was seriously dry. As in, the desert hadn’t had water for days dry. Best just to get it out there. “I’m in love with your granddaughter.”

…

“It’s now safe to bring out your portable electronics,” the flight attendant said. I pulled my laptop out of the side pocket where I’d stored it. Bethany and I had found first-class seats to London, and then we were taking a short flight from Heathrow to Paris. I had to get away. I couldn’t be around the ranch where everything reminded me of Cole.

Grandma had been shocked when I’d showed up downstairs at breakfast with my bags packed, but it was for the best. It wasn’t like all of this wasn’t planned. I was just leaving at my regularly scheduled time.

Searching through email, I found what I was looking for, but part of me was afraid to open it. What if they’d said no? I’d already convinced myself I could try again for the writing program next year.

I blew out a breath and clicked. They’d accepted my application. Attached was the information on my course load, and the classes they’d registered me in for fall.

I closed my eyes, but tears still fell to my cheeks. I’d done it.

“You got in the creative writing program?” Bethany leaned across the aisle from her pod. She already had it lying out into a bed. I didn’t blame her. By the time we’d arrived in Newark, we’d taken two flights, and it was almost ten at night before the plane took off for the next leg to London. Time. I needed to clear my head and focus. I couldn’t do that at the ranch.

My heart still hurt at Addy’s good-bye. “You’re like the big sister I never knew I wanted,” she’d said and then sobbed.

“You’re like the little sister I never knew could be so cool,” I’d answered back, squeezing her tightly. “I promise to bring you back something fun.”

She’d brightened at that. “Cole’s going to be sad he missed you. I know you guys like to give each other a hard time, but I think he really liked hanging out with you.”

I’d squeezed her tightly again, so she couldn’t see the tears in my eyes. “You tell him I said bye and then hug him hard for me. I gotta run.” I’d been all kinds of choked up. That happened when you left your heart behind.

But it was necessary. I’d gone as fast as and far as possible. There was no way I would get in the way of Cole and the opportunity of a lifetime.

“I did,” I said to Bethany. “I can’t believe this is happening.”

“Good thing you’ve been studying, or we’d be spending all of our time in the hotel room.”

“True that. Though, I will have to write a few essays, but I promise to only do that at night.”

“After lots of wine,” she said.

I wasn’t so sure about that. I was done with alcohol. “How about I watch you drink the wine, and I’ll make sure we get home safe.”

Bethany rolled her eyes. “We’re supposed to be having fun. Promise me you’re not going to go all mom on me.”

I laughed. “Promise. If you let me study, at least a little, I promise to party hard with you until it’s time to come back.”

We high-fived. Pretending to be excited was exhausting, and I yawned.

“Do you want to talk about him? It might help.”

“What?”

“Cole, the guy you’re in love with but shoved away for his own good.”

My jaw fell open. How had she known?

“Um, not stupid. I saw the way he looked at you when he was leaving your room the other day. And, yes, I eavesdropped. He’s got it bad. And you feel the same way. But you didn’t seem to want your grandparents to know, so you kept it hush hush.”

“I can’t talk about it,” I said. “I want to, but I can’t.” I wouldn’t break our contract. Even though it was null and void. I’d never risk anyone ever finding out.

Bethany gave me a sad smile. “I don’t know what that’s all about, but I’m here for you. Your grandparents love him. I don’t understand what the big deal is, unless you think he’s not good enough.”

“Hey, watch it. He’s way better than someone like me deserves.”

“Oh, really?” She winked at me. “So what’s the big deal?”

“If, and I mean if, we dated and things went south, that might not be so great for him. And this is his dream, being a part of a big corporation, making a difference somewhere. He’s so smart. I mean, like, you look at him and you think cowboy, but his brain works differently than the rest of us. And he’s had such a hard life. I just—I have so much respect for him, and I won’t get in his way.”

“But you’re in love with him. Does he even know?”

“I think he does, but he gets it. This isn’t the right time for either one of us. My feelings don’t matter,” I said. “None of it matters, only that he and Addy are protected.”

She leaned forward. “Protected from who? Did someone blackmail you?”

Jesus, this had gotten out of hand. “Why would you say that?”

“Someone did. Who? We are so going to take them down.”

I sighed. “Bethany, we aren’t taking anyone down. Please, I’m begging. Let it go. I’m moving on. He’s moving on. Everyone is moving on. Okay?”

She scrunched up her nose. “Uh-huh. Sure. Everyone is moving on.”

“I’m really tired, and it looks like the other passengers are passing out for the night.”

“Fine. But for the record, you’re an idiot to let someone that hot go without a fight. And since when did Miss Callie Llewellyn back down from a challenge, Miss Perfect?”

“Were you not in the car when I confessed that I failed?”

She snorted. “One class, which you made up this summer and got an A in. And you and I both know it was that idiot professor. But this isn’t like you, to just run away.”

“Isn’t it?”

It’s what I’d been doing all summer.

“No. But I think you have to figure that out for yourself.” The flight attendant stood before us with a basket of warm cookies. “No, thank you,” I said. The thought of food still turned my stomach.

“I’ll take hers and mine,” Bethany said as she leaned back in her pod. “I’m going to make you have fun, and we’re going to figure this out. You, better than anyone, know that life is short. If you can’t spend it with the people you love, then there’s something wrong. Really wrong.”

She didn’t understand. This was because I loved him. I could own that now. I could be strong enough for the both of us. I could be a grown-up and do what was best for someone else. Help give Cole and Addy the life they deserved.

It was okay if my heart was splintered into a thousand tiny shards. I’d survive.

Maybe.

Chapter Nineteen

“What do you mean you’re in love with my granddaughter? When did this happen?” Callie’s grandfather was a tall man and strong for an old dude, and he seemed even bigger sitting across from me. We were in the jet, so surely he wouldn’t throw a punch? But the look on his face…well, I wasn’t so sure.

“She’s been spending time with me and Addy.” For some reason, I felt the need to throw in a chaperone, even if we’d been without one many times.

Don’t let your mind go there in front of this guy.

“She’s special, uh, as you know. And I have feelings for her, and it took me a bit to figure that out. I wouldn’t have said anything to you, except I feel you should know. I’m not perfect. No one knows that better than I do. But I can’t in good conscience accept your offer without telling you how I feel about her. I understand if you need to punch me in the face. If she were my granddaughter, that’s what I’d probably do.”

The other man was silent and just stared at me for a full minute.

I’m a grown man, and I can fight with the best of them, but he was scary as shit.

“What happens if I tell you I want you off my property within an hour after we land?”

Sucker punch to the gut. I had it coming. “Yes. I understand. You’ve been good to us, and I’ll respect your wishes. Addy and I will be gone within the hour. I don’t deserve a favor, sir, but please don’t hold my actions against my uncle. He doesn’t deserve to lose his job because I’m an idiot and fell in love the boss’s granddaughter.”

“You’re right, he doesn’t.”

I’d had the shit beaten out of me more times than I can count, but I’d never been as paranoid as I was right then. “And this isn’t Callie’s fault. She’s a good person, one of the best. Actually, she’s the best person I know. She made me better. Made me want to be better.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Cole?”

“Sir?”

“Take a breath. I’m not going to punch you in the face, or throw you off the plane, but I do have some questions for you.”

For the first time in about a minute, I did exactly that. I took a deep breath.

“You two are very young,” he said. “What are your intentions with my granddaughter?”

Intentions. Hell. Did he expect me to marry her? Shit. I hadn’t thought this through. No, it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to have Callie to come home to every night. In fact, that sort of sounded like heaven.

“Well…first, I plan to love her and support her dreams. I think she told you she wants to be writer. I’d like to be there for her. But we’re a little young to marry. Once we finish school, and she feels the time is right, marrying her is what I would like to do. I can’t imagine a life without her.

“And for the record, I don’t want anything to do with her money. I like the idea of working for things on my own. When the time does come, if I’m the luckiest son-of-a-bitch—”
Shit.
“Pardon my language. If she decides at some point she’ll have me, we’d need a pre-nup. I can’t afford to live the way she’s been living, but she doesn’t seem the kind of girl that always needs that.”

He crossed his arms. “So you’d want a pre-nup?

“But not for a few years. I don’t think she’s going to want to marry me. She keeps saying stuff about how she has to clear her head and focus on school. So, that’s why I just plan to be supportive. Whatever she needs.”

Shit. I shouldn’t have said that. Probably went too far. Why the hell did I mention a pre-nup? And marriage. I’d never even thought about it. Ever. But I wanted that kind of commitment with her. She was mine, but I was every bit as much hers. That was, if she still wanted me.

“Does she know any of this?”

I shook my head. “We decided it would be best if she focused on school. She has a lot coming up. And I’m here. Well, I need to take care of Addy and help out my uncle. I do plan on finishing up my degree.”

I shut up. This man didn’t care about me. Only about his granddaughter.

“Hmm. Seems to me that if you love her, she should know, so she can make her own decisions.”

What? Did I hear him right?

“Excuse me?”

“Seems like if you love her, you should tell her. There are worse ways to begin a relationship than with a foundation of love and respect. Sounds like you have both for my granddaughter.”

I still wasn’t sure where he was going with this. “I’m sure you’re right, but I don’t know if she loves me back. I mean, we—” Shit. What did I say? Telling him I had a contract for just sex with his granddaughter didn’t seem appropriate. And she’d said she was falling for me, and I’d pushed her away. Then there was the whole idea that
falling
didn’t necessarily mean love.

“I want to make sure I can support her and take care of her the way she deserves. It’ll be a few years before I can make that happen. But I do plan on telling her how I feel. Just as soon as she’ll take one of my calls or answer a text, which she hasn’t done since I left for Kentucky.”

“I see.” His eyebrow went up. “Well, then we better come up with one doozy of a plan, because she’s hightailed it for Europe and won’t be back until the semester begins.”

The breath whooshed out of my chest. Callie was gone? What the hell?

Gone.

To Europe.

Hell.

“Now, back to that job,” her grandfather said.

But I was having trouble focusing. She’d left. She’d really gone.

Now what the fuck was I going to do?

…

Fifteen days after I ran away from the ranch, my plane landed at Newark. I followed Bethany through customs and then to the luggage carousel. We’d planned on taking the train to Boston but had to grab our crap and then haul it with us. After we exited the luggage area and the final customs stop, we headed out to find a ride to the train station.

“Miss Llewellyn.” A man in a suit with my name on his iPad screen waved me toward him. “If you’ll please follow me.”

Leary, I approached with Bethany. “I didn’t call for a car service.”

“No, miss. Your grandfather, Mr. Llewellyn, did. He’s arranged for the jet to take you to school.”

Hmm.

“Thank God,” Bethany said. “I wasn’t looking forward to that long train ride. I need a shower.”

“Hold up,” I said. “Excuse me just a minute.” I stepped back and called my grandpa.

“Well, hello,” he said. “Did you have a good trip?”

“Thanks for arranging for the apartment in Paris. It was a treat.” We’d lived pretty large the whole time we were away. But it hadn’t quelled the ache in my heart. Every day was worse. Doing the right thing really sucked.

“You’re welcome. You didn’t answer my question. Did you have fun?”

No.
“I learned so much,” I said. “I’m grateful. I was also able to get some research done for one of my classes on French poets.”

“I see.”

Thank God, he couldn’t. I was a mess. “Did you arrange for a plane for me and Bethany? I don’t recognize the man you sent.”

“The plane is to take Bethany. I’ve arranged other transport for you.”

I frowned. “Uh, what?”

He chuckled. “Hold on just a second.”

The long plane ride must have messed with my head. Maybe I was still asleep and none of this was happening.

“He’s there. He says look under the coffee cup.”

“Who?” I turned in a circle, trying to find a coffee cup. That’s when I caught sight of the familiar outline of the most handsome man on the planet.

“Cole,” I whispered. What was he doing here?

And how did my grandfather know? Had he sent him? None of this made sense.

He smiled at me, and being the idiot I am, I just started crying. He held out his arms. And I ran like a fool, bumping and knocking into people, craving those arms.

When I was three feet away, I stopped.

I glanced down at my phone and then at Cole.

“Wait, what’s going on?”

He held out big bouquet of flowers and balloons. “I’m doing what I always do,” he said. “Picking you up after your flight and driving you home.”

My heart fell. He was here to take me back to Cambridge. Only, why was he
here
. And why would Grandpa send the plane just for Bethany and not me?

“This dream doesn’t make any sense.”

With a small smile, he said, “You aren’t dreaming, and you can hang up. They can see everything.”

Jesus, this was surreal. “Who can see what?”

He pointed behind me. I turned to see Bethany with a stupid smile on her face, and the guy who’d shown up with his iPad was holding it up like he was filming me.

“Someone explain what’s going on.”

I turned back to find Cole standing a foot away from me. “I came to pick you up, and to tell you that I love you. I’ve pretty much loved you since you fell into my arms at the beginning of summer.”

Cole loved me?

“But—” I glanced back to the camera. “You have a future with my grandpa’s company. You can’t do this. We can’t. You and Addy—”

“Will be fine. She’s staying with Uncle Charlie. She decided she wants to go school in Amarillo. I gave her a choice, but she chose to stay there. Your grandmother is going to help look after her. And my uncle’s doing really well, but it will good for him to have a little help for a while.”

“I’m confused. Where else would she live?”

“Here, in New York, with me.”

“I think maybe I’m having a stroke. Why are you here?”

“Working for your grandfather during the day and finishing school at night.”

“Oh,” I said like that made perfect sense. “Wait, he knows? That you love me?”

He nodded. “Yes. I told him when he offered me the job. I don’t deserve you, but I love you more than anything. I couldn’t accept his offer without being honest and upfront.”

I was glad the camera was behind me, because I mouthed, “About everything?”

Cole chuckled and shook his head. “So I’m living in New York now. Just a five-hour train ride or an hour flight from Boston. That is, if you want to come see me. Or I could come see you on the weekends.”

“You love me and you live in New York now?”

“Yes. And your grandparents are on board. I told them how much I love you. But I wanted to give you time. If you’ve decided you don’t want me, well, it might kill me, but I’ll abide by it. Whatever you want. It’s yours. You can get on that plane with Bethany, or you can come with me. I’ll still get you to the dorm in time for school, but maybe just a bit later than expected.”

“I love you, too,” I said, leaning into him. He wrapped his arms around me.

Yes.
This
is where I’d needed to be.

“That’s great, since I was sweatin’ bullets here. We’ll figure it out. We both have a lot of school to get through. And I’ll be working all the time, but there’s Skype. And I’m serious about the weekends, at least once or twice a month.

“Yes,” I said. “Yes.” The tears started falling, and I suddenly remembered I had an audience.

“Are you FaceTiming?” I asked the guy who had met us.

He nodded.

“Thank you,” I said to my grandparents, who I could see on the screen now, smiling bigger than I was. “But he’s going to hang up now because I want to kiss my boyfriend, and I’d like a little privacy.”

They laughed. “We love you,” they said, and then the screen went dark.

I turned back to Cole. “This is real?” I asked. “I’m not still on the plane?”

“I’m not going to pinch you,” he whispered. “But I could give you a spanking later, if it will help.”

I laughed, we both did. Then he kissed me—that toe-curling body-going-into-hyper-drive kind of kiss that was Cole’s specialty.

He tugged on the leather necklace around my neck. On the end were three charms, a book, cowboy hat, and heart. The note that had been with them had said
You, me, and this. Just this
. He’d stuck it in my bag at some point, and I’d found it when we’d arrived in Paris.

“You didn’t answer me after my brain returned and I called you,” I said.

“You needed to figure out what you wanted. And I had a lot to figure out here. I thought it best to give you that space you talked about.”

“Don’t ever listen to me again. I missed you so much.”

“You okay with getting to school tomorrow night? I’d like some time alone with you,” he said against my lips.

“Yes, please,” I said.

“Let me grab your bags. She’ll see you tomorrow,” he told Bethany, who was crying more than I was.

“This is like the most romantic thing I’ve ever seen,” she said. And then she threw her arms around me. “Be happy. Take it. Whatever you can get, just take it. Love is hard to find.”

I squeezed her back.

She left with the driver, and I turned to find Cole watching me carefully.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Well, I’m overwhelmingly happy. More happy than I thought possible, so I’d say, yep, I’m okay.”

He chuckled and swooped me up in his arms. “You’re mine,” he said before branding me with another of his kisses.

“Always. Forever,” I said, kissing him back.

“Forever,” he said.