Between a Rock and a Cowboy (Rocky Road Ranch Book 1)

Chapter 10

Tanner strodeback into the house. His pulsebeat sounding in his ears as the adrenaline from his anger pumped hard through his body. More than anything, he wanted to hit something, anything.

He walked down the hall and locked the shotgun back into the cabinet in his dad’s office. Luckily, he’d left it unloaded, not trusting himself to stay in control. Seeing his father on the floor with Bill Hayden standing over him in their house had been too much. He was just glad it was his day to make dad’s lunch and not Brody’s. Brody could be hot headed at times, even if he did think Amanda innocent of telling her father about the dude ranch.

Obviously, she was far from innocent. It was time to end her farce. He turned toward the desk and opened the file drawer before he withdrew the file filled with his dad’s paperwork. After finding the email he needed, he started the computer up. It shouldn’t take long to make a complaint against Amanda Hayden Davis, the physical therapist, speech pathologist, and liar. As soon as the screen lit up, he opened a new email and typed a short message to the director of operations of Elite Home Therapies, the company who’d sent Amanda. He simply requested a new person or persons as the one he currently had had released his father’s condition to others. Adding his signature, he sent it off.

The satisfaction he’d expected to feel didn’t come. Getting rid of Amanda was like closing the barn door after the horses had run out. It wouldn’t change the decision on the rezoning, and it wouldn’t save the ranch, but at least he wouldn’t have to see her and be reminded how stupid he’d been.

He started to rise when a new email came in. It was from the Town Council. He sat back down hard and forced himself to open it. It was just the appointment for an environmental specialist to come out the following Wednesday. Relieved he still had time to counter the challenge with his dad’s paperwork, he rose again.

Striding down the hall, he entered the kitchen just as Isaac stepped through the archway.

“How is he?”

Issac waved his worry off. “He’s fine. Just pissed he couldn’t get his words out faster.”

“He’s not hurt?”

“No.” Issac jerked his head toward the front door. “Who was that man?”

“His worst enemy. Tell Dad I’m making his lunch now. I had to take care of a couple emails, so it’ll be a few minutes late.”

“Got it.” The big man walked back into the den.

He didn’t look forward to trying to find out from his father what Bill Hayden said. No doubt he complained about the rezoning. Now, he’d have to fill Dad in. Hopefully, the news wouldn’t send him into some kind of heart failure. If it did, he had Isaac nearby to help.

Picking up the tray with his own roast beef sandwich and his father’s new favorite on his low-fat diet, chicken salad, he entered the den. “Are you up for lunch, Dad?”

Isaac, who sat across the table from his father rose. “He’s all yours.”

Taking the chair Isaac vacated, he set the sandwiches down. “If you’re not feeling well, you don’t have to eat this.” He set the plate and a glass of iced tea in front of his father before putting his own plate and bottle of water on the table and setting the tray aside.

“I’m fine.”

As his dad picked up half his sandwich and bit into it, Tanner relaxed. Taking a bite of his roast beef sandwich, he tried to enjoy it, but his anger still brewed beneath the surface and the meat tasted like sawdust to him.

“Where’d Manda go?”

He swallowed hard. “She left with her father. She won’t be coming back. I won’t have you subjected to the Hayden hate again.” He lifted his sandwich to take another bite.

“Bring her back.”

“No. It’s better this way.” He bit into the meat, not tasting it at all this time.

His dad set his sandwich down and stared at him. “We need her.”

“It’s okay, Dad. I’ve asked for two other people. You’ll continue your therapy.”

“No.”

Giving up on his sandwich, he gave his father his full attention. “She won’t come back. She did what she came here to do. She discovered that we are changing to a dude ranch, told her father, and he is doing everything he can to stop us.” Not to mention she’d stomped all over his heart. He kept the final thought to himself, barely.

“She didn’t inform her father.” Dad crossed his arms, a sure sign he was digging in his heels.

“I know you liked her, but―you knew she’s a Hayden?”

“Yes.” Dad gave a nod. “Knowed for weeks.” He raised his chin. “She’s pissed at her father. She wants the dude ranch. She wants you.”

It was the most his dad had said to him since he came home from the hospital, and it was all about Amanda? That irritated him even more for some reason. “She’s not some angel. I don’t know what she told you, but she’s not coming back.”

“She doves you.” Dad grimaced at his words. “Tood me.”

It was as if Dad knew exactly what to say to knock him to his knees. His anger began to dissipate, exposing the pain. He grasped to hold onto it. “I’m sure she just told you that because she wanted you to believe her innocent of trying to undermine our ranch. But we will fight this.”

“Don’t fight her.” His dad dropped his arms and sighed. “If I had a daughter, I’d want her just mike her.” He shook his head. “Same as her.”

He didn’t know what to say to that. Dad had always railed against the Haydens, having his good friend turn on him for no reason had made it twice as hard for him. Yet now he sung Amanda Hayden’s praises? How did someone do that? “But she’s a Hayden.”

“She’s Amanda, and she doves you.” His dad growled. “Uves you.”

Could his dad be right? If he was, that meant… The ramifications of his own actions were too painful to think about.

“You dove her, right?”

He pushed the chair back and stood. “It doesn’t matter how I feel.” Even as he said the words, he knew them to be true. If Amanda did love him, even telling Dad that, it meant he’d ruined the best thing to ever happen to him. “If she really did love me, she won’t anymore.”

Dad took another bite of his sandwich as if their conversation was over.

He stared unseeing at the table. Always considered a fair man by his ranch hands, he questioned if he’d been fair to Amanda. Had he given her the same consideration he gave anyone, or had he expected her betrayal, so when it appeared that was the case, he simply accepted it without the facts? But how could he get to the facts?

His father finished chewing his last bite of sandwich then held up his half-empty iced tea glass. “Good sandwich.” After taking a sip, he set the glass down on the table and wheeled himself over to the spot in the room where the afternoon sun hit and closed his eyes.

Thoroughly dismissed, Tanner put everything back on the tray and brought it into the kitchen. His father would sleep for a good hour.

“Take your damn water bot!”

The feeling of familiarity at his father’s yell, eased his psyche for a moment. Walking back into the den, he grabbed up his water bottle. His father’s eyes were closed, but he wasn’t sleeping yet.

Leaving him alone, he returned to the kitchen. He tried to focus on cleaning up, but his gut was churning with indecision. Could Amanda be innocent and only Bill Hayden guilty? That was the question that kept rolling over in his head. If he could just be sure one way or the other, but the only way to do that was to go back in time.

He stilled. The cameras!

Quickly, he shut off the water and wiped his hands on the towel before striding down the hall back to the office. Brody was a hell of a lot better at the surveillance than he was, but his brother was in the barn with the stray dog. Besides, he wasn’t sure he wanted his brother to see what had actually happened. Though there were no cameras in dad’s den, they were in the hallway, kitchen, and family room, so they should have picked up conversations at least, if not actual visuals.

Sitting, he woke the computer up and clicked on the icon Brody had showed him. The cameras came up splitting the screen in three. Nothing was happening. Where were the recordings? Searching dropdown menus, he found them. It was listed by date. Clicking on the day, he watched as the three screens opened. First, it showed him and Brody at breakfast.

He turned the volume up to the loudest. Finding the fast forward command, he plowed through the early hours.

Where had he received the text from the Town Council? Was it inside or outside? As he watched himself leave, he had his answer. He looked ridiculously tall in the footage. It must be because of where the cameras were placed. Then he heard yelling outside, but couldn’t make out the words.

The next scene showed Amanda entering. Even in the video, he could see she was about to cry. His throat closed as he waited for her to come out of the bathroom, faint noises of crying coming through the speaker. His heart constricted that he had caused that. When she emerged, she appeared fine, but the hair around her face was slightly wet.

Next, he listened as she put her father through his paces. Always upbeat and encouraging, he could hear how well the two got along. It made him doubt his own conclusions about her motivation even more. When she said she had something important to tell his father, he leaned forward. As the two spoke, his gut twisted even more. She’d been telling the truth all along.

He’d totally screwed up.

Cringing at his own words after he found his father on the floor, he turned the video off. The back of his eyes itched. He’d never given her a chance. He’d determined her guilt, refusing to listen. Her points had been well-made, but all he saw was what he expected to see—a Hayden plot.

He sat back in the chair and pressed his fingers to his closed eyes. He was a fool. Why was it that Brody could see it and his father could see it, but he’d been blind?

“Because I love her.” Even as he said the words to the empty room, his heart hitched. He’d had her in his arms, in his bed, in his heart, and he didn’t just lose her, he threw her away. The pain he felt in his chest was like the fear he had when he found his dad, only it was worse because it wasn’t fear of loss, it was loss.

He pushed himself away from the desk and rose. His gut complained and bile rose in his throat. He made himself walk out of the room. He deserved whatever hurt he suffered. He would regret his actions for the rest of his life.

Knocking on the window to let Isaac know he was leaving, he grabbed his hat in the entryway, and strode out of the house to check on Brody. No matter how miserable he felt, he had to keep the ranch going until there was either no ranch to run or a thriving business for visitors. He owed it to Dad. He also owed his father an apology. He’d been right. Brody had been right, too. He had only himself to blame for being a stubborn idiot. He shook his head as he stepped into the stable and walked down the row of stalls.

“What are you shaking your head for? She’s not that bad.” Brody spoke from the floor of the stall he’d walked to.

“Who? Amanda?” A tiny spark of hope clicked to life in his chest.

“Amanda? No. I mean this girl.” Brody set his hand on the head of a dog that was bigger than a coyote, but looked a lot skinnier and he’d seen some pretty emaciated coyotes.

The spark died as he leaned over the stall door and gave the dog as much attention as he could muster. The animal had dried blood around its snout. Its fur was matted in clumps and the exact color of the desert floor. There were prickly pear cacti needles stuck in its coat, and its front paw looked infected. “Doesn’t look good from here.”

Brody rose from his crouched position, blocking Tanner’s view. “I called the vet. I’m bringing her in tomorrow as an emergency appointment. It was the only way to get her in before they closed for Pioneer days.”

Hell, he’d forgotten that was in a couple of days. They always brought horses and rode in the parade. But an emergency visit was expensive. “Are you sure you want to spend that kind of money? What if the vet says the dog needs to be euthanized?”

“He won’t.” Brody shook his head. “Her breathing is fine, and she can drink and eat no problem. She’s just weak from lack of food. The vet gave me instructions. I’ll take care of her.”

He readjusted his hat on his head. It was clear Brody was determined to keep the animal. Brody always wanted a dog, but after their first dog passed, Dad had said they had enough animals to take care of.

If it had been any other day, he would have argued the point, but right now he just didn’t care enough, his gut aching as if he’d been punched. “Fine. You can also tell Dad.”

Brody stiffened then looked over his shoulder at the dog. Turning back, he gave a short nod. “I will, but let me decide when and how to tell him.”

Shrugging, he turned away. He should go out and see the condition of the south gate himself. It was just that it didn’t seem that important.

“Hey, Tanner. Why did you think I was talking about Amanda?”

Amanda? He stopped. “What about Amanda?” He turned back to find his brother walking toward him.

“When I told you she wasn’t that bad, you asked if I meant Amanda.”

His gut twisted, and he winced. “I threw Amanda and her father off the property at gun point.”

“What? When? What was Hayden doing here?” Brody’s stance looked like he was ready to pull out his own rifle.

There was something in his posture that made Tanner feel a little better. “Bill Hayden showed up to confront Dad about the rezoning. I think Dad fell because he tried to stand. I walked in and sent them both away.”

Brody clenched his fists. “Sorry I wasn’t there. I would have helped you.”

“Yeah, except as you suspected, Amanda didn’t tell her father about the rezoning. She had nothing to do with her father’s actions.”

“How can you be certain? I mean, before I had my doubts, but if I came upon that, I’d want to be sure.”

“I am.” He paused, not able to look at his brother. “I went to the video from the cameras. She didn’t have anything to do with it. I even heard her tell Dad she loved me.”

“Damn.” Brody’s comment came out on a quiet breath.

They stood there for a few moments, neither saying anything. Knowing there was nothing Brody could say, he started for his horse.

“Wait. What are you going to do about Amanda?”

He kept walking. “Nothing.” Even as he said the word aloud, the ache in his chest intensified. There was nothing he could do that would fix what he’d done.

Amanda dressed in the scrubs she wore the night before. Today was going be difficult at best. Working at Rocky Road when Tanner didn’t want her there was hard enough, but knowing he thought she’d told her father all about the rezoning and him showing up would make it worse. She crossed her fingers Tanner would at least listen to her after a good night’s sleep.

Not that she had much sleep. She’d cried part of the night and tossed and turned the rest of it. Her eyes still looked a little swollen, but at least Jeremiah would be happy to see her. She hadn’t spoken to her father since their conversation when they got home. She didn’t want to see him.

Her fury over his actions in the past had her re-evaluating so much of her growing years, questioning his motives on everything from buying her a truck for her sixteenth birthday to keeping her coma secret for as long as possible. She could probably get those answers, but part of her didn’t want to know. She was far too disappointed in him as it was. He’d fallen from his pedestal and too many chips had broken off to put him back up there.

Her plan was to go into the kitchen, grab a yogurt, and stop on the side of the Rocky Road Ranch driveway and eat. If her father was still home, she’d tell him she needed to get to work early because―

Her phone rang. Grabbing it from her satchel, she looked at it. Elite Home Therapies showed as the caller. That was odd because LaReina had her own number. “Hello.”

“Ms. Davis, this is Martin Reisberg from Human Resources. I’m calling to tell you that a complaint has been lodged against you. You will need to cease all services to a Jeremiah Dunn and come into our office next Tuesday to answer some questions as we investigate this.”

Her breath caught. “Complaint? What kind of complaint?”

“It states here that you may have violated HIPAA regulations by telling a William Hayden about your client’s medical condition. As I’m sure you know, we take this very seriously. So until our investigation is completed, you will be on unpaid leave. Do not, under any circumstances, attempt to see Mr. Jeremiah Dunn.”

Her mind raced. Did Jeremiah now not believe her?

“Do you understand Ms. Davis?”

“Yes. I understand. Can you tell me who filed the complaint?”

“We will go over that when you come in. Please arrive at nine o’clock. Thank you.”

As the call ended, she stood staring at her phone. Jeremiah knew how she felt. He even said he still wanted her to work for him. Of course, that was before her father stormed in, but the last thing Jeremiah had done was swear at her father. She hadn’t been sure, but it seemed like when her father questioned her loyalty that Jeremiah had truly become upset. So why…

Tanner.

Even as the puzzle pieces fell into place, her fury rose. Either he was like all the other men in her life who thought her job unimportant, or, as she suspected, he knew exactly how important it was to her and lodged the complaint anyway, even without evidence! Now she was caught between a rock and a cowboy, her father and Tanner, and she had nowhere to turn.

“Bullshit.” She was tired of trying so hard, at both her job and love, and getting thwarted at every turn. Stripping out of her scrubs, she opened her drawer to get her jeans. “Well, double shit.” There was nothing in it because she’d packed her clothes in her suitcase and left them in her sedan, which was sitting at Rocky Road Ranch. Would Tanner have it towed? She could only hope.

In the meantime, she needed clothes. “Shit, shit, shit.” Her wallet and laptop were also at Rocky Road.

Quickly, she put her scrubs back on and stalked out of her room. She found her father sitting at the dining room table drinking his coffee. She strode around to the other side of the table and scowled at him. “I hope you’re happy now. Not only has my employer canceled my contract at Rocky Road, but I’m now under investigation for violating HIPAA regulations.”

At his blank stare, she slapped her hand down on the table. “They forbid me from revealing any health information about my clients to others. But apparently, you now know about Jeremiah’s health.”

He set aside his coffee. “I’ll call my lawyer.”

“No! Shit Dad, not everything is about lawyers. Just give me one of your credit cards and the keys to the truck I was using.”

He reached in his pocket and pulled out his wallet. “Where are you going in your work uniform if you don’t have Jeremiah as a client anymore?” He held out a credit card.

She snatched it out of his hand. “I’m going to buy clothes because yesterday, someone made me get into his car to leave Rocky Road, abandoning my vehicle filled with my clothes and my satchel with my computer and wallet all at Rocky Road Ranch.”

“Mandy, it was a dangerous situation.” Her father’s tone was soothing. “I couldn’t well leave you there.”

Unfortunately, his tone just irritated her. “It was dangerous because you showed up in the first place. You escalated everything.”

“I was only doing what I thought best.”

His pushback was the final straw. “By verbally attacking a man who can’t walk and can barely speak? No, you can spin things for the people in your district, but I was there, and witnessed your driven need to tear down the Dunns. It just happened that I was caught in the crossfire, and you can’t fix this. You don’t even know the entire depth of what you’ve destroyed.”

“Mandy, maybe you’re just being emotional and need some time to reflect on all of this.”

She gritted her teeth, stepping back to remove herself from his absolute arrogance. “No, I don’t need to reflect. You need to reflect on your actions, and think about whether you still want to have any kind of relationship with your only daughter.” Turning on her heel, she stormed out of the dining room and grabbed all three sets of keys that were hanging on the hook near the door.

“Mandy!”

She slammed the door behind her and clicked each set of keys, since they all looked alike. When the truck unlocked, she threw the other two sets on the picnic table under the porch and strode forward. She had no doubt her father wouldn’t follow her because that would mean he cared about her career, about what was important to her. Plus, that meant rising from the table before his coffee was finished.

Yanking the truck door open, she got in and started it, leaving her family home as fast as she could. If she stayed any longer, she would say something that she could never take back. She wanted to yell at her father, but the person she wanted to beat on was Tanner. That he would do something so mean had her rethinking everything she knew about him. She was just glad he showed his true colors before she told him how she felt. She should have known. He was a cowboy after all.

Once off the ranch, she finally cooled down enough to determine her first stops. Unfortunately, Main Street was packed, reminding her that Pioneer Days started tomorrow.

She found a parking space behind the Lucky Lasso Saloon and Hotel, an Old West themed place that was rarely full, except during Pioneer Days. As much as she’d like a drink, it was far too early, so she walked down the boardwalk to a western clothing store and bought a few outfits. After stopping at the local pharmacy for toiletries, she headed back to the truck. She was about to walk down the side street where she parked, when she stopped.

She really didn’t want to go back to her father’s place. Her appointment to see the house her old classmate had set up for her wasn’t for a couple more days. Basically, she had nowhere to go.

While the traffic was heavy, the boardwalk on Main Street was not. She turned back to the entrance of the hotel and walked in.

“May I help you?”

She recognized the woman from her school days. She looked the same, only prettier with a bit more weight. She’d always been as thin as a pitchfork in high school. “Hi, Ava. You wouldn’t have a room, would you?”

“Mandy Hayden? I’d heard you were back in town. How are you?”

That was far too big a question to answer. “I’m good. It looks like the place is hopping.”

Ava grinned. “This week anyway. Aren’t you staying at your Dad’s place?”

And there was the problem with a small town. “I was, but it’s too much testosterone, if you know what I mean.”

Ava nodded. “Boy, do I. I have three boys of my own at home. Mama watches them when I’m working, and this weekend I’ll practically be living here.”

Three boys already? Had life really happened that fast? “I’m just staying for a few days until I can find my own place. Do you have any rooms? I’m not picky.”

Ava moved to her computer. “I just had a cancellation an hour ago.” She grinned. “I don’t mind as I get paid anyway when they cancel so late. Let’s see. Oh, yes. You’ll love this room. It’s the honeymoon suite. So if you run into a honey while in town, you can take him to your suite.” Ava winked at her.

She forced a smile. Just what she didn’t need. “That must be big. I don’t need that much.”

“I’m afraid it’s all I have. I can give you a friends and family discount. Just don’t tell Mama.”

She waved off the offer. “If it’s a honeymoon suite, I’m happy to pay. I’m sure it’s worth it.”

As Ava pulled the old-fashioned key from the little box with HS on it, Amanda took out her dad’s credit card and swiped it.

“How many nights would you like?”

“Three, I guess.”

“If you need it longer, just tell me. Right now it’s free until October third. Mrs. Rodriquez reserved it for her parents’ fiftieth wedding anniversary. I guess they spent their wedding night there. Up the stairs and to the left. It’s at the back of the building where it’s quieter.” Ava dropped the key in her hand.

“Thank you.” She looked at the grand staircase. “Will Mrs. Rodriguez’s parents be able to make it up the stairs?”

Ava laughed. “No. We installed an elevator in the back. Do you need it?”

“No. I’m fine. Thank you.” She headed up the stairs with her bags. Reaching the second floor, she found the walls of the hallway were wallpapered with red roses on a pale pink background, making the place feel like it was from another century. Which was true but as the original one burned to the ground in the mid-nineteen hundreds and had been rebuilt, it wasn’t as old as the décor suggested.

Walking into the room, she was happy to see it had been updated with a television, coffee station and minifridge. In the ensuite, she found a modern bathroom complete with clawfoot tub that actually looked inviting.

Stripping off her scrubs, she donned a Pioneer Day T-shirt she’d bought that fell to her knees and hung up her other purchases. Now that she had a place of operations, she had to figure out her life, as in her entire life.

Picking up the pen and little note pad on the end table, she climbed on top of the fluffy quilt on the king-sized four posted bed.

Wallet, computer, clothes, car. She wrote those on the top of the pad. The problem with getting those back was that there was no way she was stepping foot back on Rocky Road. Her anger toward her father for causing all the problems was nothing compared to how she felt about Tanner. She could understand him assuming the worst, but he should have at least let her explain before destroying her career. She’d given him a chance. He could have given her the same curtesy. But no. He supposedly knew what happened without even being there.

The pen started to bend under her hand and she quickly let go, shaking out her fingers. It wasn’t the pen’s fault Tanner was a stubborn, know-it-all, who couldn’t see anything good without questioning it. She picked the pen back up.

Career. She stared at the word on the pad. If the investigation found her guilty, she could kiss her entire career goodbye. But she would fight them. She hadn’t done anything wrong. Her father had figured it out on his own. Was there such a defense as “small town”? She’d make her father come with her. She added father next to career.

Home. She wasn’t living under her father’s roof ever again. But where should she live? If she kept her job, she could move back into Phoenix, but now that she’d been out of the city, she discovered she had missed the open desert.

Maybe it was time for a new start, far from her ex in Phoenix and her family in Four Peaks. Prescott or Flagstaff were cooler. A new job?

Sabbatical. She already had the money set aside, but now she wasn’t sure what she wanted to do. It had all been so clear before arriving on Rocky Road Ranch.

And what if the investigation cleared her? It wasn’t like she’d go back to care for Jeremiah. Even if they invited her, there wasn’t enough money to entice her after what Tanner had done.

How could she have been so wrong? Why did he seem so good? And why did he make her feel valuable only to devalue everything she was? The words on the pad started to blur and she set it aside, lying back on the plump pillows. She was not going to cry about him anymore. He wasn’t worth it. He’d hurt her in the worst way, by not believing her even after knowing more about her than most people did.

The buzz of her phone startled her. She picked it up from the end table where she’d left it, wiping the tears from her face with her other hand. “Hello?”

“Manda, have you gone loco?” LaReina’s voice came loudly through the phone.

She sniffed before answering. “I must be to have let you talk me into working at the Rocky Road.”

“Chica, what’s wrong. Are you crying?”

“Maybe.” She hiccupped. “Yes.”

“Oh dear. Tell me everything.”

And she did…everything, even that she’d slept with Tanner. When she was finished blubbering and talking, she grabbed a tissue and blew her nose.

“Feel better?” LaReina’s voice remained sympathetic as it had the whole time she spoke.

“No. But thank you for listening.”

“That’s what mentors are for. I’m going to HR and getting to the bottom of this. Don’t look for another job. From what you told me, this is just a misunderstanding. I think I can get this fixed.” The woman paused. “But I can’t help with your heart.”

She nodded even though LaReina couldn’t see her. “I know. I think I just need time to get over him and move on.” She sniffed. That was much easier said than done.

“Okay. You stay there and don’t quit on me or you’ll look guilty. Remember, you have a sabbatical to look forward to.”

“Right. Thanks. Let me know what you find out.”

“I will.” La Reina sighed. “Now get some rest, watch a movie, and have some ice cream. What is that weird flavor you like so much?”

“You mean Cake Batter ice cream?”

“Yes, that’s the one. Have some of that. It will help you feel better.”

“Right. Thanks.” She ended the call and laid back. Talking about it with LaReina did help. Her brain understood that she needed to forget Tanner after what he did, but her heart didn’t want to. It felt like a shattered piece of pottery with various sized pieces scattered about, some missing under furniture, never to be seen again.

Maybe her boss was right. Maybe she should just vegetate all day in front of the television and not think about anything.

At a knock on her door, she rose. “Who is it?”

“It’s Ava. You have a delivery.”

She opened the door to find Ava holding a bag.

“Here you go. They said to get it to you right away.”

She took the plain white bag. “Thank you.” Ignoring the obvious curiosity of the hotel owner, she closed the door.

Even before she set the bag on the little table for two, she could feel the cold temperature. “You didn’t.” Opening it, she pulled out a pint of the local ice cream shoppe’s Cake Batter ice cream. She smiled. LaReina had already ordered it, probably on her laptop while they were talking. Curious that there was another container, she pulled it out and this time she chuckled. Teddy Bear Comfort ice cream? If ever she needed that, it was now. She definitely had to try that one first.

She managed, though it was difficult, to do exactly as LaReina had suggested. She watched movies, only comedies, most of the day. She found the small gym in the hotel and hit the treadmill, something she hadn’t done in months. Back in her room, she took a hot bubble bath. But after getting out of the tub, she found her mind wandering. What she needed was her laptop. The next best thing was the computer center next to the workout room. It had two computers, both of which had no one at them. That wasn’t surprising since everyone was getting into the spirit of Pioneer Days, the Old West come to life.

After spending a couple of hours on one, she returned to her room with a new list. The list was filled with potential jobs. The one that she was interested in the most was a company that provided traveling nurses, but they had two openings for Physical Therapists. From their website, it looked like they placed people all over the world. That was right up her alley. Ordering room service for dinner, she then cracked open the Cake Batter ice cream before falling asleep in the middle of a movie.

When she woke, since she’d failed to close the lacy rose curtains the night before, there was just the beginnings of light filtering through the windows. The television was still on, showing a modern-day western movie. A cowboy walked onto the screen and her heart hiccupped. The hair, hat, and shoulders looked just like Tanner from behind. When the camera focused on the actor, it wasn’t even close. The man didn’t have the straight nose or dark brows that Tanner had, and the jawline was far weaker. Searching in the quilt for the remote, she quickly turned off the television. That was the last thing she needed to see.

As she threw back the covers, the pad with the job possibilities went flying. Padding over to it, she picked it up and set it on the end table. It was time to move forward, not look back. It was also time to be among people again. Quickly, she showered and dressed in one of her new outfits, quite pleased with how the black fringed sleeves looked on her new red shirt. The black jeans fit perfectly. She particularly liked the rhinestone swirls that ran down the seams on the outside of the legs. Pulling the new red hat from the closet shelf, she checked herself out in the mirror.

“Well, don’t you look the part today.” She grinned, feeling a bit like her old self. Nothing like Pioneer Days to distract her from her woes. Sticking her dad’s credit card in her back pocket, she grabbed up the key to the room and headed for the door. Today, she would close the door on the past and live in the present. Tomorrow was soon enough to tackle the future. That, and of course, her exhibition ride for the barrel races.

Just as she reached for the doorknob, her phone rang. She couldn’t think of anyone she wanted to talk to, but it could be the organizers of the barrel racing. Pulling it out of her back pocket, she read the name before swallowing hard and answering. “Good morning, LaReina.”

“Hey, I know it’s your big weekend up there, but I needed to tell you what happened with the complaint.”

Gridding herself for the worst, she took a deep breath. “What happened?”

“It was dropped.”

“Huh?” The answer was so unexpected, she moved to the bed and sat. “That doesn’t make sense.”

LaReina chuckled. “You think that doesn’t make sense, listen to the rest. Not only was the complaint withdrawn, but they praised you from here to Tucson. I read the reply. They said it was just small-town nosiness and not you who had revealed your client’s condition, and they were sorry they jumped to conclusions. They also said you had performed miracles with the client, and they couldn’t wait to have you return.”

Something wasn’t right? Had Jeremiah wheeled himself into his office? Did he have Brody try to undo what Tanner had done? She had a hard time believing Tanner had a change of heart.

“Amanda? You still there?”

“Yes, I’m here. I don’t know what to say.”

This time LaReina laughed, clearly thrilled. “Say it’s great and get your butt over there first thing Monday morning.”

Go back to Rocky Road with Tanner believing she betrayed him? Not a chance in… “I need to process this. Give me a couple days, okay?”

“Okay. Maybe he realized he was an ass.”

She shook her head. “Have you ever met a man who firmly believed one thing and then suddenly changed his mind?”

“No. I guess not. Okay, take a couple days. I’ll stall on this end.”

“Thanks.” After she ended the call, she didn’t move. She wanted it to be that Tanner changed his mind, but no one who stood in their yard holding a shotgun changed their mind that quickly. Finally, she rose and returned her phone to her pocket. She had been pretty hungry, but now, the only thing she could imagine getting down was coffee.

She opened the door to the hall and strode toward the grand stairs. Walking into the lobby, she found Ava at the front desk again. She forced a smile. “Good morning, Ava.”

The woman waved her over. “You had another delivery.” She pointed out the large window of the lobby.

Parked outside was her sedan. Her heart leapt. “When was it delivered?”

“I don’t know. It was there when I came in this morning. There’s a note on it, and I found the keys here behind the desk.” Ava held up her keys.

She took her car keys then walked closer to the window. A sign sat in the front dash. In big blue letters were two words. I’m sorry. Her chest squeezed. Had Tanner brought it for her? Did he really change his mind and believe her?

“Mandy?”

At her name, she turned to find her father walking in from the dining room. “Good morning, Dad.” She kept her tone neutral, not ready for another emotional day.

“Would you have breakfast with me?” He held his arm out toward the dining room.

She glanced back at the car, disappointment rifling through her. Of course. Her father probably sent someone to get her car. This was probably an apology breakfast. Fine, she would listen to what he had to say. “I will.”

They walked into the crowded dining room which was appointed with pale pink drapes and round tables with white lace tablecloths. Once they were seated and had ordered coffee, she waited, not willing to distract her father from his purpose.

“Mandy, I’ve been thinking about what you said yesterday.” He took a sip of coffee. “Actually, I’ve been reflecting as you suggested.”

She bit down on the need to remind him that he told her to reflect.

“I realize that my issues with Jeremiah have fueled you and your brothers’ attitudes toward the Dunn family. I used to be proud of that, but after looking back at how that has affected your life, far more than your brothers, I understand that it is not something to be proud of. It started with unwarranted jealously and spiraled. Your mother leaving me just made it worse.” He took another sip of coffee.

If he was going for a pity party, she wasn’t joining in.

When she didn’t respond, he set his coffee down. “I will admit I don’t understand what you do or what happened with your job, but I want to make it up to you. As you stated, you are a grown woman and I’ve not wanted to see that. You are still my little girl, my Mandy, who needed me so much in high school.”

She picked up her own cup and just stared at him. She’d seen him use the same tactics with his voters. But his attempt to play on her sympathy wasn’t going to work this time.

He finally pushed aside his coffee and held one hand up as if she was about to speak, which she wasn’t. “I know that’s in the past for both of us. I want this unfortunate event at the Dunns to be in the past as well. I’m sorry I overstepped my boundaries as your father and caused you to have problems at your place of employment. I promise not to interfere in your life ever again.”

An apology from Bill Hayden was unheard of, never mind a promise like the one he was making. She had to give it to him. He did surprise her this time. He still was obviously not interested in her career, and she would probably just have to live with that. But she was in the driver’s seat for a change, which made no sense since she was on the verge of possibly quitting. “I will forgive you and accept your promise on one condition.”

His gaze wavered, obviously he was nervous about what she wanted. “What is the condition?”

Disappointment that she was not important enough to respond with anything closed her throat for a minute. But she was cognizant of who her father was and where his self-worth lay to know that the Earth would have to open up beneath him before he would make himself so vulnerable. “I want you to mend your friendship with Jeremiah Dunn.”

His brows raised as he studied her.

She didn’t let her gaze waver. Her dad would see the smallest flit as potential for negotiation.

Finally, he sighed. “I can see you are firm on this. Then for you, and only you, I will reach out to Jeremiah with an olive branch. But if he doesn’t wish to accept it, I cannot be held accountable.”

Oh no, he was squiggling out of it that way. She shook her head. “No. If he isn’t interested, you pursue it until he finally accepts.”

“Mandy.”

“Dad.” She kept her tone firm. “I won’t accept anything less. Otherwise, after Pioneer Days, I’m moving out of town and I won’t let you know where I am, which probably won’t be Arizona.”

His eyes widened and panic flashed in his gray eyes. “Yes. Yes, I’ll keep trying to get Jeremiah to talk. I promise.”

Surprised that she meant that much to him, she gave him a soft smile. “Then I’ll forgive you.”

“Thank you. You know you are all I have left of the happy times when we were a complete family.”

“Dad. You have three sons. Don’t go there. I’m not buying it.”

“Right.” He looked around. “Where is our waitress with those eggs?”

She bit down on a smile. How like her dad to be anxious to move to another topic when he wasn’t in control of the conversation.

The waitress came up at that moment and placed their breakfasts on the table. After she topped off their coffee, Amanda finally relaxed and took a mouthful of fluffy eggs. As she speared a piece of bacon and plopped it in her mouth, memories of the morning at Rocky Road when she’d had a similar breakfast with Tanner and Brody, caused her eyes to water. Fortunately, her dad didn’t see, and she quickly wiped her mouth as she blinked back her tears.

“I’m hoping you’ll still ride in the convertible with me in the parade this afternoon. You know how I hate to ride alone.”

She cocked her head, hoping his apology was not simply to get her to be with him in the parade. “I’m sure one of my brothers would be happy to ride with you.”

Her dad snorted. “Not likely. They plan on showing off their roping skills. I swear every single one of them has a two-track mind, women and horses.”

She stifled a chuckle. That was her definition of a cowboy. Or it had been before Tanner. She quickly sobered and took another bite of her breakfast, the eggs now tasting like cardboard to her.

Her father looked at his watch. “I only have a few more minutes.” He grinned at her. “It’s a busy day for the local legislator. So what do you say? Will you ride with me?”

Suddenly, she realized what it was about her father that she never noticed. He was a big fish in a small pond, and he liked it that way. No wonder he didn’t run for congress. He truly preferred having his own little kingdom. She gave him a genuine smile. “I’d be honored to ride with you.”

His answering smile was equally genuine. “Excellent. Be at the parade staging area by one this afternoon.” He glanced over her shirt. “Your outfit will be perfect. Don’t forget your hat.”

“Of course.”

He started to take out his wallet, and she set her hand over his. “I’ve got this. I have a Hayden credit card on me, remember?”

“I forgot. Which I shouldn’t have since it’s how I knew where to find you.” He stood.

She stared at him in surprise. “You know how to go online and check your account?”

“Believe it or not, I even pay my bills online now. See, your old father can change with the times.”

She held back a snort as he came over and kissed her on the cheek, no doubt so the customers could see them. “See you at one. Don’t be late.”

She nodded, but he had already turned to leave, nodding to a few people as he left.

Sighing, she looked at her eggs and pushed them away. Just live in the present for one day. She could do it.