Forever After (Montana Brides) (19 page)

Patrick’s lies and deceit had cracked a chunk of emotional baggage off the iceberg he’d frozen himself inside. But his best friend’s betrayal didn’t come close to excusing his behavior. Sam was an A-class idiot, and not very proud of himself.

Last night he’d drowned himself in a little bourbon and coke, and listened to someone called Jo-Jo tell him her life story. He couldn’t remember much of the story. And the only reason he remembered her name was because he used to have a dog called Joey.
 

Pathetic, that’s what he was. Jo-Jo hadn’t been too thrilled when he’d stumbled out of the bar on his own. Funny how he remembered that. Add another female to the growing list of women he managed to piss off majorly.

Sam headed inside. He needed coffee.
 

No he didn’t. He’d already drunk enough to keep him awake for a week. He checked his watch. Ten o’clock. Half the night had already gone and Nicky still wasn’t home. He paced, read another chapter of his book, then paced again.
 

His head shot up. The distant ping of the elevator launched his body into the air. Pressing his head against the door, he listened for any sign of movement. The click of a security card unlocking a door spun him into action.

He yanked his front door open. And stared. And stared harder. He stared until his eyeballs felt like they were super-glued open in astonishment. A cherry red dress had been spray painted onto Nicky’s body. Tight, shimmery, and short, it met all the requirements of a date with someone a girl wanted to see a whole lot more of. A date with someone that wasn’t him. “Nicky?”

“Sam? What are you doing out here?” A soft blush fanned her cheeks.

He cleared his throat. What the hell
was
he doing here? “Umm…I’m waiting for someone.”

The glow on her face disappeared. “Oh.”

Hell.
He’d done it again; put his mouth firmly where it didn’t need to go. “I mean…” He cleared his throat again, “…Cody.”
 

“Oh.” She stared at him for a couple of seconds, a confused scowl working its way across her pretty face.

And she’d cut all her hair off. He hardly recognized the pixie staring back at him. Her short blonde hair looked like a shiny, golden cap. Wispy bangs framed her face, making her clear blue eyes appear twice as large, twice as beautiful. He didn’t know where she’d been tonight, but he sure as hell wished he’d been there. Any male within a ten mile radius would have made sure he’d introduced himself to the sultry blonde in the flaming red dress.
 

“Well…nice evening isn’t it?” Damn. He was really scraping the bottom of the barrel with that revelation.

Nicky glanced out of the window between their two apartments. “It’s lovely outside. Much cooler than this afternoon.”

He nodded, trying to look intelligent. Trying not to look like a moron. “So…do you want to go for a walk?”

Nicky frowned. “What about Cody?”

“Cody?”

“My brother. The person you’re waiting for.” Her eyes popped open, like the next word out of her mouth would be “dah.”
 

“I can give him a call and cancel our…umm…meeting. He won’t mind.” Considering he didn’t know about meeting Sam, he wouldn’t mind in the least. Right about now, he probably had his arms around one of the never ending stream of blondes he favored. Lucky bastard.

Nicky stared at him. She looked worried, confused, and a little bit like she might say yes.

Maybe that was him, projecting his hormones through the sparkly bits on her dress. Hormones and a lot of other things if he had half the chance. Not in this lifetime, he sighed. And definitely not until he’d apologized.

Nicky looked down at her security card.
 
“Thanks for the offer…”

She was going to say no. She couldn’t say no.

“…but I’ve had a long day. Maybe another time.” She inserted her security card into the lock and disappeared inside her apartment.

Sam stared at her door. He could have sworn she’d been tempted to go for a walk with him. How wrong could he be? Reaching behind him, he turned his door handle.
 

Damn. Not only was he a loser in the personality stakes, he’d locked himself out of his apartment. He’d get no comfort from Nicky, so he headed toward the elevator. The Village manager would laugh at the idiot from one of the penthouse apartments.
 

He’d laugh even harder if he heard the rest of the story. Sam Delaney, master of negotiating multimillion dollar construction deals had just been made surplus to a woman’s requirements.

Nicky closed the door and slid toward the floor. Her heart raced like it was in the spin cycle of a washing machine.
 

Emily would have been proud of her. She’d stuck to their plan. She hadn’t caved in and listened to the sweet imaginings whispering along her body. An evening walk around town with Sam would have put her in the danger zone. God knew what warm mountain air, soft music and a theatre full of stars twinkling overhead would have done for her promise to Emily. Or to her sanity.
 

Look but don’t touch. That would be Nicky’s guiding principle with Sam from now on. If he ever realized there was more to their relationship than physical attraction, she’d indulge her touchy feely thoughts then. With every ounce of willpower left in her tattered heart she’d keep her hands to herself. Look but don’t touch.
 

A grin slipped across her face. Sam had looked big time. In fact he’d looked so hard that Nicky swore she’d felt warm hands gliding along her skin, stroking and cajoling her until she would have done nearly anything to keep those hands moving against her body.
 

Unzipping her evening bag, she grabbed her phone and hit speed dial. “It’s me.”

“What’s wrong?”
 

Emily’s voice sounded like it was down a long tunnel, echoing through the phone. “Are you in the bath?”

“Yep. As naked as the day I was born. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” Nicky said. “It’s nearly eleven o’clock. Why are you in the bath?”

“You danced my feet off tonight. I’m hot, sweaty and tired. Even Cinderella’s fairy godmother needed down time. After tonight I need a week of compulsory rest and relaxation.”

Nicky leaned her head against the door, smiling to herself. “That’s what you get for turning twenty-five. By thirty you’ll get your second wind. Andrew seemed to enjoy himself.”

A muffled sigh floated down the phone. “Andrew’s a whole lot of man rolled into one incredible package. I’m surprised you’re not tucked up in bed and sound asleep. Teaching Cody to waltz would have been more than I could handle.”

“He did okay. Another lesson or two and he’ll be a pro. That’s why he doesn’t go anywhere that plays decent music. He’s got two left feet and a counting disorder.” Nicky grinned. “Did Andrew mind having your sister and brother gate crash your first date?”

“Second, but whose counting,” Emily said smugly.

“Second? When did number one happen?”

“Just before I met you at the park yesterday, but we’re getting off track. As much as I love speaking with you, my bubbles are starting to dissolve. What’s up?”

“Sam.”

“Isn’t he always?” Emily laughed.

Nicky smiled. “Don’t be rude. We’re both drunk on hormones and only one of us can do anything about it.” She kicked her shoes off her feet, wiggling her red tipped toes. “I saw Sam tonight.”

“Where?”

“Outside my apartment. If I was being delusional I’d swear he was waiting for me.” Just like she’d dreamed his hands were moving over her skin. “And you’ll never believe what he said.”

“He asked you to marry him and have two point three babies?”

“You’re good, little sister, but not that good.” The sound of running water gurgled down the phone. “He said he was waiting for Cody. But Cody was heading home after he’d dropped me off.”

The water stopped. “Why was he waiting for Cody?”

“Beats me.”
 

“What else did he say?” Emily asked.

“Not much, but he looked lots.”

“I knew it! We’re onto a winner with the new clothes and hairstyle. Hang on.”

The clatter of the phone hitting something hard flew down the phone. Nicky heard a high pitched sucking noise as water gushed out of the bath.
 

“I’m back,” Emily said. “I couldn’t get the water hot enough and I can feel a major heart-to-heart session starting. Did you stick to our plan?”

“Are you kidding? I wouldn’t dare deviate from your master plan of seduction.”

“Good girl,” Emily crooned. “We weren’t supposed to put anything into action until Monday, but what the heck. We’re women. We’re flexible. And we’re great at multitasking.”

Nicky didn’t know if that was strictly true. Ever since she’d arrived in Bozeman she’d had a seriously one track mind. Running straight toward Sam Delaney.

“Get a good night’s sleep and I’ll see you tomorrow at mom and dad’s. We’ll corner Cody and get him to give us a hand. God knows we’ve pulled him out of enough scrapes to last a lifetime.”

Nicky yawned into the phone. “I don’t know if he’ll help us. But either way, there’s nothing we can do about it tonight. Thanks for your help, Emily.”

“Think nothing of it. I’ll polish off my magic wand for you anytime.”

Nicky disconnected the call, staring for a long time through the closed balcony doors. Sam had definitely been rattled. A little flame of hope sizzled and then spluttered to a smoking wick. In another two weeks he might change his mind about adding long term commitment to his attraction philosophy. But until then, she was at the whim of a whacky fairy godmother.

Sunday lunch at the Scotson ranch was a family tradition that had lasted through mumps, measles, and more than one broken heart.
 

By the time Nicky arrived, Emily and Cody were deep in conversation on the patio, her dad had just put the barbecue on, and Maureen and granddad were walking around the garden with a glass of wine in their hands.

Waving across the grass and roses, she headed toward her dad. “Need a hand?”
 

“Hi, babydoll. I like your new hairstyle. You’ve arrived just in time to unwrap the buffalo steaks.”

Nicky took the plate of meat, smiling at her father. She’d inherited his blonde hair and blue eyes, and more than a little of his temperament. Gary Scotson hadn’t bowed to the pressure from his father to join the family construction business. He’d paid his own way through college and bought a cattle ranch the size of a postage stamp. Over the years he’d added more land until three hundred and ninety acres proudly bore the Scotson mark of stewardship.
 

“How’s the world of cattle ranching, dad?”

“Busy. I swear if we get another winter like last year we’re going to need every bale of hay we’re stacking in the barns. Have you seen Emily’s apartment since she spruced it up?”
 

Nicky smiled at the twinkle in his eyes. “Did she have you on the end of a paintbrush again?”

The twinkle turned to a full throttle chuckle. “You know your sister too well. Cody even pitched in with the ceiling. I’m getting too old to climb up and down ladders.”

“Nonsense. You’re a spring chicken.”

“Who’s a chicken?”
 

Nicky laughed at the cheeky grin on Cody’s face. “I hear you’ve been painting Emily’s ceiling?”

“You mean she conned me into helping her. She promised me a three course banquet and instead I got a burger and fries. Next time I’ll make sure her promises are bulletproof before I start.” He gave her a pointed look.
 

Nicky frowned back. Unless Emily had already been pestering him into going along with their plans, she didn’t have a clue what the determined look had been for.

“You need some of my charm,” Gary said. “I got chocolate fudge cake and leftovers from the night before.”

Cody growled. “Favoritism, that’s what it is.”

“Nicky, you look lovely.” Maureen walked toward her, a smile on her face and two salad bowls in her hands. “Would you go and help your granddad? He’s putting the rest of the food onto a trolley.”

“No problem.” Nicky headed toward the house, kicking her sandals off before walking into the spacious kitchen. Dark brown walnut floors gleamed under the white carrera marble counter. Her grandfather was on the far side of the kitchen beside the open fridge. “I’ve been sent in to supervise the loading of the food.”

Michael Scotson closed the fridge door, putting a big bowl of pasta on the trolley. “I thought you’d be here hours ago. It’s gone eleven o’clock, girl.”

Nicky smiled. “If I’d known you were going to miss me so much I would have finished work a couple of hours ago.”

“Why on earth are you working on a Sunday morning?” His scowl told her he wasn’t impressed with her dedication. “You’ve found the idiot who stole our money, so why did you need to be at work?”

“And this coming from the man who never left his office?”
 

For a split second, regret washed across his face. “No point crying about spilt milk, but I’ll give you some advice.” He speared her with a gruff look, “Not that I think you’ll listen.”
 

He cleared his throat, gripping the handle of the trolley so tight that Nicky wondered if he’d leave a dent in the steel. “Don’t make the same mistake I did. I was so busy building an empire I forgot about my family. It wasn’t until your grandmother died that I realized what I’d missed out on. Your father made the same mistake. I tried to tell him, but he was just as mule headed as I was. You get caught up in the rush of work until your body gets thrown around once too often. By the time you realize you’ve lost your way, you’re left clinging to the side of the life you thought you had. Only what you took for granted has disappeared.”
 

He hung his head for a moment, and then moved back to the fridge, grabbing two bottles of wine from the door. “Take these bottles outside to Maureen, and give an old man a couple of minutes to gather his thoughts.”

Nicky reached for the bottles and gave her grandfather a kiss on the cheek. “I love you, granddad. And I’m proud of what you’ve done. Grandma was proud too. She might have called you her cantankerous old fool, but she would have used her walking stick on anyone else that said the same thing.”