The Hardest Part (Brookside #2)

Chapter Seven

A spring in her step, she scrambled to the bedroom window, searching for signs of snow. Seeing none, Emily smiled. Nothing but soaring pines and endless blue skies for miles and miles. With the weather on her side, today would be a productive day.

She skipped back to the bed, and plopping down upon it, shot off a text to her new best friend. The Eve of the Eve, there wasn’t a moment to waste. Gifts were waiting to be wrapped. Cookies needed to be baked. Preparations had yet to be made.

Within seconds, Arien replied.

And her plan was a go.

Everything in her mother’s house was done in warm shades of ivory, cream, and white, from the rugs on the dark hardwood floors to the paint on the textured walls. Not a pop of color to be had anywhere. At least not until spring. Then Emily would color the outdoor spaces in brilliant blooms of orange and purple, pink and yellow, blue and red.

She looked forward to it every year. On Mother’s Day, when the air was warmer and the danger of frost had passed, Emily served her mom a sumptuous breakfast she made, along with coffee, orange juice, and a bottle of champagne. Kimberly would sit on the porch drinking mimosas while she pushed plants into the dirt.

“That turned out so pretty, honey.”

“Happiness comes in colors, Mama,” Emily said. Pleased with herself, she smiled at the two large pots of flowers she’d planted flanking their front door.

Her mother shrugged, and raising the champagne to her lips, released a sigh.

This morning, she sat on the cream linen sofa, hunched over her laptop on the coffee table. Ledgers strewn about. Same as always. Kimberly had an office with a perfectly good desk at her disposal, yet she did her work at the kitchen table or here in the living room.

“Where you off to?” she asked, glancing up at her from the screen.

Emily bent down to kiss her mother’s cheek. “Runnin’ up to get Arien. We’re goin’ shopping.”

“For what?”

“Christmas ain’t the time to be askin’.” She winked and walked over to the door. “Anything I can get for you while I’m out?”

“Don’t think so.” Her gaze traveled to the black-and-white photo on the wall. “Maybe dinner. I don’t feel much like cookin’.”

“I love you, Mama.”

Sea glass eyes returned to her. “Love you more.”

Lost in her thoughts, Arien gazed aimlessly out the window as Emily drove away from the ranch. Was she happy here? Did she miss her old life back in Denver? A month since Uncle Matty’s wedding, it seemed to her she was settling in just fine.

Instead of turning toward town, she punched the code into the gate.

Arien whipped her head in her direction. “I thought we were going shopping.”

“We are.” Emily couldn’t contain her grin. “In Jackson.”

“Starbucks,” Arien squealed, bouncing in her seat.

“Figured you’d be itchin’ for some by now,” Emily said, the gate closing behind them. “Besides, I’m on a mission.”

“Oh, yeah?” And her eyebrow quirked. “What’s that?”

“Not sure, but I’ll know it when I find it.” Met with a blank stare, she explained, “I want to get my mom something special. No idea what, though.”

“Ohhh.” Understanding dawning on her, Arien nodded. “Couldn’t find what you were looking for in town?”

“Didn’t even try.” With a shrug of her shoulder, Emily turned west toward the Tetons. “It’s a small town, Arien, so it’s hard to keep anything a secret here. Everybody knows what everyone is up to…”

“Including the gifts you purchase?”

“Now you’re gettin’ it.” She glanced at her cousin and smiled. “I have to get Jake’s birthday present, too.”

“Oh, when’s his birthday?”

“The thirty-first.” New Year’s Eve. No midnight kiss for us, though, dammit. “He’ll be twenty-three.”

“He’s a year ahead of Kellan and Tanner, then.”

“No, Jake and Kellan were in the same class—he made the deadline by a day. Born in November, Tanner missed it. He was one grade behind them.”

“I did not know that.” Her head tipping to the side, she released a breathy sigh. “Poor kid must’ve been so lonely at the ranch without his brother.”

“My mom said that’s when he started talkin’ to the horses.”

Tanner had a gift. Even the wildest bucking bronco would come and eat out of his hand with barely a whisper. To see it was darn near spooky.

“I don’t know what to get him.” Arien bit her lip and shrugged. “Kellan, neither.”

“I guess you’re on a mission too, then, ain’t ya?” Playfully, Emily elbowed Arien in the ribs.

She giggled. “Guess so.”

They strolled along East Broadway in Jackson’s iconic town square. Gaslight Alley. Arien picked out Give’r leather work gloves for Kellan and Tanner. She even got them branded with their initials for a personal touch. Then, on impulse, she threw in matching chaps for them, too.

“Think they’ll like it?” she asked breathlessly.

“I know they will.”

“How do you know?” Arien went to hand the clerk her debit card.

“Don’t use that one.” Emily snatched it back. “Use the card Uncle Matty gave you.”

“But that isn’t my money.”

She still had so much to learn. No matter their role in the community, every family in Brookside got an equal share of the town’s combined profits from the ranch and other ventures to do with as they pleased. A portion was budgeted for the school, municipal improvements, and the like, with the rest set aside for the future.

And Arien was family now. A Brooksider.

Share the work, share the wealth.

“Trust me, it’s yours.” Winking at Arien, Emily gave the clerk the correct card. “And I know them boys are going to love what you got because it came from you.”

“I hope you’re right.” Chewing on a fingernail, she looked at her with those doll-like eyes. Emily could see the uncertainty Arien was battling within the hazel-green irises.

“You’re sweet on them, aren’t you?”

“Sweet on them?” Arien scrunched up her face.

“You care for them.”

“They’re my brothers, boo,” she said, pulling back slightly.

Stepbrothers.

“Course, I do.”

“That’s not what I meant.” Emily linked arms with her cousin. “Never mind. C’mon, there’s an antique store I wanna get to.”

After Emily found the perfect special something for her mom, and Jake, too, she opened the door of the shop, leaving the smell of a musty, old attic behind to be greeted by the glorious scents of cinnamon, balsam, and pine.

“Oh, look.” Arien raised her package-laden arm and pointed. “They do those vintage photos here.”

“Yeah, you dress up in Old West costumes and they take your picture. Wanna do it?”

She should want to. Photography was her thing, right? But then maybe Arien was more comfortable behind the camera rather than in front of it.

“Uh, I dunno.”

“It’s touristy, but it might be fun,” Emily said, her lips turning up.

“What the hell.” After a soft toss of her blonde waves, Arien went for the door. “Let’s do it.”

They were taken to a wardrobe room with row upon row of authentic-looking costumes. Saloon girl garb. Petticoats. Feathers. Satin. Lace. Emily pulled an ensemble from the rack and thrust it into Arien’s hands. “You should wear this.”

A corset with matching chaps of the softest white lace and a poncho of camel-colored wool to drape across her shoulders. Then she snagged a pair of suede fringe chaps for herself and hats for both of them.

“I don’t think they dressed like this in the Old West.” A stunning Arien gazed at their reflection in the mirror.

Okay, so the outfits she chose for them, an alluring mix of Western wear and scant lingerie, were likely intended for a boudoir shoot. They looked hella good, though, and wasn’t that the point?

“Maybe not, but we’re gonna.” She adjusted her breasts in the sheer lace cups, plumping them, and grinned. “Gotta give them boys a little somethin’ to look forward to.”

“Jesus, Em.” Arien tsked, and blushing, she turned away from their reflection.

Emily turned her back around. “What?”

“I don’t need to give Kellan and Tanner anything.”

Oh, but you want to.

“You give’m a good eyeful at home, I bet.” Smirking, Emily slathered on some lip gloss. “I mean, your room’s right there across the hall from ‘em. You’re so lucky.”

“If seeing them walk around half-naked most of the time makes me lucky, then I guess so.”

“I love you like a sister, Arien.” And softly, she kissed her mouth, leaving a smudge of ruby stain upon her lips.

“Why’d you do that?”

Emily smoothed the gloss with her thumb and smiled. “Because I wanted to.”

“I can take photos for you if you want,” she said, smiling back. “Sexy ones. Better than what you’ll get here. For you to give to Billy and Jake.”

“Naked.” Embracing her cousin, Emily giggled. “In nothin’, but my cowboy hat and boots?”

“Straddling your horse’s back.” Arien was laughing, too.

Emily took a step back. “You do want them, don’t you?”

She nodded, biting her lip.

“I knew it, Arien. You’re one of us.”

“I just love the smell of Starbucks.”

They stood in line, waiting on Arien’s second quad-shot latte of the day. Transferring her shopping bags from one arm to the other, Emily took in a deep breath. “Smells like coffee to me.”

“Yes, but…” With a shake of her pretty blonde head, Arien let out a giggle. “…it’s more than that. Can’t explain it. You could put me in a dozen different coffee houses blindfolded, and I’d know which one was Starbucks just by the smell.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“You’re so darn cute,” Emily said, handing her the latte. “Let’s go.”

“And just where are you goin’?”

Deep and velvety-smooth, she knew that voice. Jake. Her lips twitched.

Weighted with packages and sneaky smirks on their faces, Emily and Arien turned around to see their boys standing there.

“What’re y’all doin’ here?”

“Was about to ask you the same, Ems,” Kellan said as he sidled up to Arien, eyeing the bags hanging on her arm. “What you got in there, baby cakes?”

“Nothing.”

“Looks like you got somethin’ to me.” He leaned over her, trying to sneak a peek.

“Stop it.” She nudged him away with her elbow. “If my hands were free, I’d smack you.”

“He’d prob’ly like it.” Chuckling, Billy rolled his eyes.

“You know I would,” Kellan agreed with a waggle of his brows. Then his dark smoldering gaze returned to his stepsister. “Here, let me carry ‘em for ya.”

“Thanks, but I got it.”

“Got yourself one of them fancy coffees you love, pretty girl?” Tanner joined in, hugging a blushing Arien to his side.

“So, you didn’t answer my question.” Emily navigated them toward a table by the window. “What are y’all doing in Jackson?”

“Christmas ain’t the time to be asking.” Billy shared a look with his brother. “Right, Jake?”

“We had some things to take care of, is all.” He tugged at the collar of his sweater as if it were choking him and shifted in his chair. “You girls finished with your shopping?”

“Yeah, I think so.” Heaving a sigh of relief, Emily pulled the large envelope from her bag. “We got pictures taken, too. Wanna see?”

“No, no, no, no, no.” Arien tried to stop her. “They’re for—”

“Gimme those.” Kellan snatched the envelope from her fingers and began rifling through the photographs.

“Christmas.” Arien sat back with a shake of her head. “They’re for Christmas.”

Oops. Too late.

“Goddamn, baby cakes…”

Rendered speechless, Tanner let out a slow, deep whistle.

“Holyyy shit, I’m a lucky guy.” With a grin so wide his dimples disappeared, Billy’s silvery-gray eyes captured her own.

“And why’s that?” Emily asked as if she didn’t already know.

He leaned across the table and kissed her. “‘Cause you’re mine.”

“And mine.” Jake dipped his lips to her ear. “You’re killin’ me here, wild one.”

“Good.” She smiled.

Mission accomplished.