Chapter 15
Brady put his hand over his pocket, where the token of his love for Abby rested. They’d spent the past almost two months together and now it was late October. He couldn’t be surer of how he felt for her, and he was certain she felt the same way. The fences were up and the only thing keeping her here was their relationship.
He whistled as he loaded the cooler for their picnic. Nothing could dampen his mood today.
Abby sailed into the kitchen, her hair in a high ponytail, her cheeks flushed, looking beautiful as always. She wore jeans, an emerald-green T-shirt with her company’s logo, and her athletic shoes. “So, where are you taking me?”
“The Superstition Mountains.” He closed the lid of the cooler. “The temps are much lower there, so you’ll want to bring the light jacket you bought last week.”
“Hold on.” Abby spun around and headed through the archway and down the hall. In moments, she returned with the jacket. “I think I’m set.”
They loaded up the new UTV that Brady had purchased after the bull had destroyed the other one. Lady joined them when they climbed in, and she gave a happy yip.
Brady kept to back roads and it wasn’t too long before they reached one of his favorite spots in the Superstitions, partway up the mountainside. He parked and they climbed out of the vehicle. The air chilled his face and the wind soughed through the pine and oak trees.
“It’s beautiful here.” Abby closed her eyes and her chest rose as she took a deep breath. She opened them. “It smells wonderful. I love the scents of pine and the clean air. No pollution from Phoenix can make it out here.”
He grabbed the cooler out of the back then took Abby’s hand. “This way.”
It wasn’t far to the place he liked to go sometimes. They broke free of the forest cover and walked out onto a huge flat rock that looked onto the mountainside below, and beyond that, the valley where King Creek resided.
“It’s beautiful.” Abby sighed with pleasure as she slowly turned her head to take in the view. “You can see so far from here.”
Brady watched her and his gut twinged at the thought of her becoming his forever and always. He’d thought he’d been in love before, but it had been nothing like what he felt for Abby. He’d been in love with the idea of being in love—more so than how he’d actually felt.
“Are you hungry?” Brady laid out a quilt on the rock then squatted by the cooler. “I probably packed more than we could eat for two days.”
“Considering your appetite, that’s gotta be a lot.” Abby laughed and eased down onto her butt on the rock. “Yeow. It’s cold clear through the quilt and my jeans.”
“I’ll warm you up.” Brady doled out sandwiches then sat beside her and unwrapped his beef and cheese. He rested one arm around her shoulders and brought her close to him. “Better?”
“Yes, thank you.” Abby nodded, her ponytail sliding over her shoulder with the movement. She removed her sandwich from the baggie and bit into it. “Mmmm,” she mumbled around a full mouth. She chewed and swallowed. “I didn’t realize I was so hungry.”
Brady felt like a trout was flopping back and forth in his belly as he waited for the right moment. He didn’t find it until dessert, which consisted of soft chocolate chip cookies that Abby had made yesterday.
He set down his cookie and shifted so that he could see her face. “Abby, I have something I’d like to ask you.”
She froze. Her features went through a transformation that took him off guard. She looked shocked, overwhelmed, and afraid, as if she knew what he was about to do, and it terrified her.
He hesitated. Before he could say another word, her phone rang.
“My sister’s ring.” Abby’s expression was as if a lifeline had just been flung down to her. She hurried to dig her phone out of her pocket.
Abby’s heart pounded a mile a minute as she grasped her phone. Brady had been about to propose, she was sure of it.
She wasn’t ready for marriage. Did she even want to marry? If she did, he would be the one. But no, she wasn’t ready to lose her freedom and be tied down to one place. She loved her life, and she didn’t want to be forced to give that up.
Her fingers ached from clenching her phone so hard. She accepted the call and put her phone to her ear. She cleared her throat. “Hi, Emma.”
“Oh, Abby,” Emma sobbed and Abby’s heart stopped.
“What is it?” Panic rose in her. “Are you okay?” Her skin grew cold as Emma tried to talk through choked sobs. “Is it Daddy?”
“Y-yes.” Emma continued to cry and hiccup her words. “He’s—he’s dead.”
Tears rolled down Abby’s cheeks as the words started to sink in. “How?”
“The virus put his body through a lot.” Emma’s words tumbled out. “That had to have something to do with it.” Her cries cut Abby to her core. “Paramedics are on their way, even though it’s too late. James said they still have to—to make certain.”
“I’ll be on the first plane out.” Abby struggled to keep her tone even.
“Hurry,” Emma sobbed. “Please hurry, Sissy.” Emma hadn’t called Abby by her childhood nickname in years.
“I will.” Abby scooted and got to her feet. “I’ll email you my flight schedule as soon as I make it.”
Abby felt chilled to the bone as she disconnected the call. And then Brady’s arms were around her and she buried her face against his chest. “He’s gone. Daddy is really gone. We thought he had pulled through just fine, but now I’ll never see him again.”
“I’m so sorry, hun,” Brady murmured. “I’ll get you home and give you a ride to the airport.”
Abby nodded against his chest then stepped out of his embrace. She picked up the quilt as Brady gathered what was left of their lunch and packed it in the cooler.
She felt as though her head was stuffed with cotton as the words continued to echo through her head, Daddy’s gone. He’s really gone.
This meant that everything had changed.
Brady’s gut ached for Abby as she sat so quietly in the passenger seat on the way to the airport, Phoenix city lights glittering in the night. Her flight left at 8:10 pm and she wouldn’t get into Billings airport in Montana until just after midnight.
Silence in the truck cab rang in his ears. He wanted to talk to her to console her, but the right words wouldn’t come to him. So, he said nothing, waiting for her to speak first.
When she finally spoke, it cut him to the quick.
“I won’t be coming back.” Her tone was low but clear and firm as his gut bottomed out. “I have to take over the family business now that Daddy is gone. It’s several family members’ livelihood, and I’m the only one who can do it. I can’t let them down, and that means I have to stay in Montana, permanently.”
Words remained frozen in Brady’s chest as he guided the truck through light Saturday evening traffic on automatic. Not coming back?
“I’m sorry you’re going through this.” He tried to think through what he wanted to say and was afraid it would come out all wrong. “We’ll talk about it again once things settle down.”
“Nothing can change this, Brady.” She looked straight ahead. “I thought my dad would be around for another thirty years at least, time enough to train another family member.” Her voice choked on her words. “He was only in his early fifties.”
“Much too young,” Brady said quietly.
Abby nodded but still didn’t look at him. “He should still be here.”
He didn’t know what else to say to her as she remained quiet and staring into nothing.
Was this really it? How could he let her walk out of his life like this?
He had no choice. Did she truly have no choice but to take over the family business?
That wasn’t for him to be concerned about right now. All he could do was support her and hope this wasn’t the end.
Even though she had made it clear it was.
As the plane flew through the night, Abby felt as if her heart had been torn out of her chest. Not only from her father’s death, but from leaving Brady.
She looked through the window as the flight approached Billings, closer to where she’d be with the family she loved.
And far away from the man she loved, who she had left behind forever. It was true, he had stolen her heart and she didn’t think she’d ever get over him. When it came down to it, marriage wasn’t for her, something she hadn’t fully recognized until he was about to propose—she had no doubt that was what he had planned to do.
It didn’t matter now. She had a responsibility to her family—she had practically raised her sisters and brothers after their mom had passed away.
A tear rolled down her cheek. She missed them both so very much.
The captain announced they would be landing soon, and the flight attendants made preparations.
Abby looked out the window as the ground grew closer and closer.
Twenty minutes later, she made her way to baggage claim, where she spotted Emma right away. Like Abby, Emma’s bright red hair stood out in a crowd.
Abby hurried toward her little sister—Emma caught sight of her, and they met halfway.
“I’m so glad you’re here.” Emma threw her arms around Abby and they both sobbed in each other’s embrace.
“I can’t believe Daddy’s gone.” Abby hiccupped and cried harder than she had before, and Emma’s body shook with the force of her sobs.
After a moment they drew apart. Emma wiped tears away with the back of her hands, as did Abby. Her sister’s face was blotchy, and she wasn’t wearing makeup like usual, or she’d cried it all away. Abby was betting on the latter. Considering how much alike they looked, despite the age difference, Abby probably had a similar complexion.
Emma’s fiancé, James, walked into view. “Hi, Abby.” His subdued expression was unlike his normally cheerful demeanor. He gave her a hug. “It’s a long drive to the ranch. We’ll get you home now.”
“I’m not sure I can sleep, but I am tired.” She put an arm around her sister’s waist. “Let’s go, Em.”
Thoughts warred in Abby’s mind, tearing her apart. If it wasn’t for sheer exhaustion, it might not have been such a battle. She might have better compartmentalized her feelings for Brady and the devastation she felt at the loss of her dad.
When they got to the parking garage, they located James’s truck and Abby took the back seat in the king cab.
“What’s wrong, Abby?” Emma turned in her seat so that she could look at Abby as James drove them home. “I can tell your mind is racing.”
Abby sighed. “Nothing to worry about tonight, Em. Okay?”
Her little sister just looked at her then nodded. “We’ll talk later.”
Abby stared out the window at complete darkness, save for the glow of the truck’s headlights. It was a moonless night and they were already out of the city.
She was going home after a long absence, but everything had changed.