Chapter 21
TWENTY-ONE
Aspen
I pull into the parking lot of the assisted living facility on my way back to the ranch from morning class, and I stare at the front door through my windshield for a long minute before I grab my purse to go inside.
Bishop told me his grandmother wanted to meet me in person, alone, before she’d start having her lawyer put the paperwork together for the deed transfer.
I’m nervous that she won’t believe this is real, and worried that she won’t like me.
Bishop warned me that she’s probably going to put me through my paces.
“I was beginning to think you weren’t going to make it,” the woman, who I presume to be Grams, greets me, her perfectly coifed gray hair neatly styled into ringlets that surround her bright smile and blue-green eyes.
I glance down at my watch, seeing that it’s two minutes until three.
“I’m sorry. I thought Bishop said three o’clock. Did I misunderstand?” I know he said three, but I’d rather start this conversation nonconfrontationally if I can.
“He did, but in this family, we pride ourselves on punctuality. On time is late, and late is inexcusable. I suppose you Stocktons don’t have to worry much about time when the world revolves around your schedule.”
Well, so much for nonconfrontational.
“Bishop didn’t warn me about that particular family lore. I’ll keep it in mind for the future. I was coming from class up in Denver, so unfortunately, I couldn’t get here any earlier.”
“Bishop shouldn’t have to tell a woman to have manners when she meets his family. But I appreciate that you’re a working woman when you don’t have to be. I would have assumed that a divorce settlement would have kept you set for life.”
The shots keep flying across the bow, and I’m gonna be working overtime to keep there from being fireworks on this metaphorical ship, or worse yet—sinking it before we even get out of port.
“Could we start over?” I sit down across from her just as a woman brings us two iced teas, grinning at his grandmother as she sets them down.
“Sure, dear. We can start over, but first, I got you some tea. Figured iced would be better than hot since it still tastes good if it melts while you wait. I hate lukewarm tea, you know?”
“I love iced tea. Thank you!” I flash a bright smile I don’t exactly feel.
“Thank you, Tiffany!” She grins at the woman, who I would guess is in her twenties with pretty brown eyes and hair. “This is Tiffany. She’s Bishop’s favorite around here and mine too.” She holds her hand up to her mouth in a pretend whisper. “Just don’t tell anyone else I said that.”
“No, ma’am. Of course not. You just let me know if you need anything else.” She pats Grams on the shoulder and then takes off to the next group of folks in the dining hall.
“She’s pretty, right? Such a crush on Bishop. I’ve been trying to get those two together, but then he’s been distracted helping your family.”
“Isn’t she a little young for him?” I raise a brow because I’d guess the woman is at least ten years Bishop’s junior.
“Age is just a number. Bishop’s grandfather and I were fifteen years apart.
We did just fine. The only part that gets a little rough is when they end up dying when you’re still young, and you’re left to fend for yourself.
But then again, there are plenty of hot guys around here, so it’s not all bad. ”
“I see.” I nod.
“But enough about my married life. I’d rather hear about yours.” There’s a grin on her face, and she pushes a tea tray of sandwiches in my direction.
“I know Bishop told you we’re engaged, and I know it’s a little sudden. So I imagine you have questions.”
“Not many. I assume he wants the land, or your daughter does.” She puts it bluntly.
“Well, I know keeping the ranch he grew up on close to his heart is something that’s important to him. But we do love each other.”
“Which is why you were married to someone else all this time.”
“I thought Bishop was gone. I looked for him for a long time. I was desperate for him to meet his daughter. I didn’t give up until we were told he was presumed dead. I even hired a private investigator at one point, and they came up with nothing. He was a ghost.”
“Yes, well, I’ve given him plenty of grief over his disappearing act, but that’s in the past now.”
“As is my former marriage.”
“Is it? You’re well and truly done with him? You’re not going to suddenly decide you miss your ex-husband? For all of my husband’s faults, and there were more than a few that made me wish for divorce, I couldn’t imagine ever leaving him. He was my person.”
“Bishop is my person.”
“I should hope so. Given that he left his whole family behind to live on that ranch.”
“Well, I don’t mean to dredge up an uncomfortable conversation, but your son wasn’t exactly the picture of a good father.”
“You don’t have to pull punches about my son.
He was an asshole. Always was. Always will be.
God rest his soul. But Bishop could have come to live with us, and he chose to stay on your family ranch.
I couldn’t imagine why he’d want that over being with his own kin, but then I saw you.
That explained a lot. Pretty young thing his own age, batting her eyelashes and having him teach her how to hold the reins.
You had your fun, and then you ran off to greener pastures.
Farmer’s daughter is a tale as old as time, isn’t it? ”
“It wasn’t like that. Bishop was good to me, but he never wanted any sort of commitment, and I did.
I waited for a long time. I stayed single all the way to college in hopes of him someday coming around.
When I went to college and he went to the military, I assumed our time was up, and he never offered me anything to the contrary. ”
“Did you ask him?”
“No. But I didn’t want to ask him for things he wasn’t willing to give.”
“You didn’t seem to have a problem asking for things when he got back from his last tour of duty, given the two of you have a daughter.”
“I missed him, and I wanted his help, and he was willing to oblige.”
“Because that boy’s been messed up over you for two decades now. He won’t even look at another woman when he thinks he has a chance with you.”
“Well, isn’t that the hope when you agree to marry someone? That they’ll give up alternatives like Tiffany?”
“As long as you’re finally willing to give him the love he deserves.
My grandson is a light in this world. Everything he’s been through, the way he’s had to persevere despite so much being against him.
He deserves someone who will treat him right, love him above all else, forsake all others. I hope you can do that.”
“I absolutely intend to do that.”
“I didn’t ask what you intend. I ask what you’re going to do.
No matter how good a man he is, there are times when your marriage is going to get tough.
I imagine it’s going to start that way, seeing as you let another man raise your daughter all this time, and now Bishop has to play second fiddle to a man who didn’t deserve her. ”
“Ethan was—” She holds up her hand to cut me off.
“No one but my Bishop is good enough to deserve my great-granddaughter. So spare me any of your explanations.”
“I’m more than happy for him to finally get to meet his daughter and spend time with her. I’m elated that he’s getting that chance, and even more so that she is. And I agree that it takes a very special person to deserve a chance in her life.”
“Much like you.”
“I don’t claim to be special.”
“Of course you do. You’re a Stockton. You don’t forgive.
You never forget. You punish anyone and everyone around you for daring to stand in your way.
That’s practically your family motto. Has been for generations.
You forget I grew up on the other side of the mountain, and so did my grandparents and their parents before them. ”
“I appreciate that we come with a reputation.”
“One I’m not even a little bit scared of.”
“I believe you, given the way you’ve held this conversation.”
“Good. Then I hope you can learn to make an exception to all those rules for Bishop. If anyone deserves it, it’s him.
He’s been in love with you since he was a kid, and I don’t think his love ever wavered.
He’ll be a good father too. I know him well enough to know he’ll do the opposite of everything his father ever did.
He’ll spoil her rotten if anything. He’s already talked about wanting to buy her a horse and teaching her to ride. ”
“I know he’ll be a good father to her. I have no doubts whatsoever there.”
“He’ll also be a good husband. He’d do anything for you and for that family of yours. Even forsake his own.”
“I agree that his loyalty runs deep.”
“I just hope you deserve him. I’m not sure you do. I don’t know if you’ll ever appreciate him the way someone like Tiffany would. You’ve had it too good to know what bad is, I think, even with that divorce of yours under your belt.”
“My life has been far from easy.”
“No one said it was easy. I just said it wasn’t bad. Those are two different scales, dear.”
“I suppose you could argue that.”
“Then I suppose you could understand my concern. I don’t want to see that man get hurt trying to live up to your ideals and expectations.
I don’t want him crushed under the weight of not feeling good enough for his own daughter.
If you love him, you’ll look out for him just as much as you would yourself and your daughter. ”
“I’ve always done everything I can to protect Bishop from any kind of hurt, and I always will.”
“Then it’s settled.” She nods and takes a long sip of her tea, apparently satisfied with my answers. “Now tell me more about what you do for work and what my great-granddaughter is like.”
When I get back to the ranch, the family’s inside already finishing up dinner. Bishop is among the guests this evening, and he and Ramsey clear the plates from the table and load them into the dishwasher while Fallon tells me about her day.