Chapter Twenty-Seven
On Saturday morning, Trip stood in front of the windows in the living room, staring out at the mountains. He was surprised at himself. He felt nervous—and he hadn’t expected that.
He started guiltily when Shelley came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing a kiss to the back of his neck, sending that now-familiar prickly sensation shooting down his spine. He turned to face her, wrapping his arms around her waist, loving that she was wearing his pajamas.
She didn’t wear them to bed anymore, but on the weekends, she still liked to put them on while they drank coffee and ate breakfast together. It struck him that it wasn’t all that long since she’d borrowed them that first Friday night she’d stayed over.
She tucked her hair behind her ear as she looked up into his eyes. “Are you okay?”
He kissed her forehead. “Yeah, honey, I’m great. Sorry. I was just thinking.”
For once, she didn’t pick up on what he was thinking about. But then again, there was no way she could know—and no reason she would even suspect that he’d lied to her about the reason for his trip to town with the guys this morning.
Well, it wasn’t entirely a lie. Cash, Mav, and Blane had arrived last night, and when Cash had called to ask if Trip wanted to meet up with them all in town this morning, Trip had decided it would be the perfect opportunity to go ring shopping.
He’d promised Cash he’d wait for him to be able to come along—and there was no telling when he’d be back. And even though Trip knew that Mav and Blane would probably have little to no interest in coming with him, he still liked the idea of having them there.
Since Shelley had no idea about any of that, he just smiled.
“I imagine there’s a lot to think about when you get together with all the guys.”
He cocked an eyebrow.
“I mean, you all must’ve been through a lot together. And you don’t see them all that often anymore. It must bring it all back.”
He smiled as he ran his fingers down her cheek. “Not really,” he said. “Yeah, we went through a lot together—but it’s not like it was the only period of our lives that we spent together. We’ve all known each other since kindergarten.”
She laughed at that. “You know, every time Travis says that, I picture you two together. I’d love to see photos, if you have any.”
He chuckled. “I’ll have to dig some out for you. You have to promise not to laugh, though. I’m the puny little one.”
She tightened her arms around his waist. “There’s nothing puny about you. You’re awesome.”
“You have to say that—you’re biased.”
She laughed. “Of course I am. I love you.”
“I love you too, honey.”
She looked over his shoulder at the sound of a vehicle approaching. “Here comes Trav now. Are you ready to go?”
He held her a little closer. “I want to say I’m as ready as I’ve ever been—but that’s not true. I’m readier than I’ve ever been.”
She gave him a puzzled look, and for a moment he was worried that she might ask what it was he was ready for.
He relaxed when instead she asked, “Readier? Is that, like… rightest?”
“It is,” he said. “More than you know.”
She still looked puzzled, but she stepped back. “I want to ask what you mean—but you’d best not keep Trav waiting. I hope you have fun with the guys. I’ll see you back here this afternoon, right?”
“You will. I won’t be all day. How about you? Are you going to hang out with Harper after you spend some time with Jim?”
“I think so. She was shopping in Bozeman yesterday, apparently—and she bought a whole bunch of outfits. She said she has something that might suit me to wear tonight.”
“I hope she found you something you like.”
She chuckled. “You mean you hope she found something that you might like?”
He shook his head solemnly. “No, honey, I really don’t. What I like is you. What you’re wearing doesn’t really matter.”
He let his gaze travel slowly down from the top of her head to the tips of her toes.
“Although I will say that I love it when you wear my pajamas. Other than that… as long as you like what you wear, then I love it. I’ve told you before, and I’ll never stop telling you—you’re beautiful to me.”
She pressed a quick kiss to his lips. “Okay, sweet talker. Thank you. I love you too. Now go let Trav in.”
Travis smiled at him as he climbed into the passenger seat of his truck.
“How you doing, buddy? You ready to do this?”
“I am. I can’t wait.”
“I never thought I’d see you this way—but I like it.”
“I do too. I like it a lot.”
“I love that you’ve included all the guys, too. I wish I’d thought of it.”
Trip chuckled. “I wish I could say I was the one who thought of it—but Cash asked if he could come along. And making the most of him being here means I also get to rope Mav and Blane in too.”
“And Emmett,” Travis added with a smile. “I can’t believe you got him to come.”
“I doubt I would’ve—except he has to be in town this morning anyway. He’s bringing Alana to her rehearsal. And when he got home last night the girls insisted that since I hadn’t invited them to come with us, he had to come so that he can report back on what I chose.”
“That works out well then, doesn’t it?”
“It does,” Trip agreed.
He had to laugh when they got to town and saw that almost all the parking spots along the block where the jewelry store stood were already taken—by his friends’ vehicles. Emmett’s truck. Deacon’s sheriff truck. He had to hope that it was Ace who was driving Ari’s Navigator—and that she hadn’t invited herself along. He relaxed when he spotted the black Suburban that Cash used whenever he was in town.
He laughed harder when he saw a traffic cone sitting in the middle of the space closest to the jewelry store door—and Deacon stepped out to remove it as they approached, waving Travis into the spot.
A rush of warmth filled Trip’s chest as he greeted his friends. He thought of himself as more of a facilitator. He didn’t need the limelight—not usually—but he couldn’t deny that it felt good to be the reason all the guys were together.
As they all filed into the jewelry store, the woman behind the counter—a warm, sharp-eyed woman named Loretta, who he remembered from school—looked up. Her eyes grew wide as she watched them.
“What’s going on, gentlemen?” she asked with a smile. “Are we putting the band back together?”
Cash laughed. “Not exactly, darlin’. What we want to do is put a band on a woman’s hand.”
“Oh, wow. Which one of you’s getting married?”
Trip inhaled sharply as he stepped forward. “Not married,” he corrected her. “What I’m looking for is an eternity ring.”
“Oh, that’s perfect. Shelley’s a wonderful woman.”
“What’s an eternity ring?” asked Blane.
Emmett turned to him with a smile. “According to my girls, it’s a promise to love someone forever and ever.”
Blane made a face, and Mav muttered something under his breath.
Loretta went to a display case and unlocked it, returning to set two trays of rings on the counter in front of Trip.
“Is this the kind of thing you’re looking for?” she asked.
Ace let out a low whistle. “Damn. And I thought one big-ass diamond was shiny. Look at those things.”
Trip looked—and although he could see what Ace meant, he couldn’t see the ring. Some of them didn’t have enough stones. The ones that did had smaller ones. Nothing jumped out at him.
He shook his head, and Trav came to stand beside him, slinging an arm around his shoulders. “What are you looking for, bud?”
He shrugged. “I wish I could tell you. Tanya and Alana showed me the different styles online last night—and all I can tell you is that I know the ones I like when I see them. But I couldn’t tell you why I like them.”
Blane grumbled in the background, and Cash turned to slap the back of his head. “Just because you can’t find a woman who’ll put up with you…”
Blane shrugged and shot Trip an apologetic smile. “I’m happy for you, bud. I really am. I just…” He shook his head. “You know, shopping’s not my thing.”
He stood back next to Mav—and looking at their faces, Trip could totally see why Cash called them Grumpy and Grumpier.
“Maybe you should bring out the really expensive stuff,” Cash suggested.
“Yeah—spend his money for him, why don’t you,” said Mav.
Trip smiled at Loretta. “I don’t mind what it costs. I just need to find the right one.”
Blane groaned behind him, but Trip just laughed. He didn’t care how much it cost.
“Give him a break, would you?” said Ace. “It’s not like he can’t afford it, is it?”
Deacon caught his gaze and gave him a slight nod. It struck Trip as strange but true that Deacon was the first to start this tradition and he understood better than most of them how Trip was feeling.
He might not know how to explain what he was looking for—but he’d know it when he saw something that felt like her.
As soon as Loretta brought out the next tray, Trip spotted the one. Before he even said a word, Travis grinned beside him.
“You found it, didn’t you? Which one is it?”
He pointed at a yellow gold band that sparkled with seven large oval diamonds, each one set beside the next with slim gold bars in between. He knew there was a name for that kind of setting, but he didn’t remember what it was.
It didn’t matter. That ring was the one.
He laughed as the others all crowded around to see—even Mav and Blane.
“Do you know what size she wears?” Loretta asked.
“I do. Well, at least… I know you’ll be able to tell me.”
He took a folded-up Post-it from his pocket and handed it to her. “The top number is the inside measurement of a ring she doesn’t wear much—because it’s a little too big. The bottom number’s from one she takes off a lot—it’s too tight. So I’d say… whatever size falls in between those two is her perfect size.”
Deacon gave him a puzzled look. “You’ve been sneaking around measuring the inside of her rings?”
He laughed. “I sure have, Chief.”
While Loretta took the measurements and consulted a chart, Cash nudged him in the ribs. “When are you going to give it to her? You going to do it tonight—while we’re all out with everyone?”
Trip shook his head slowly. “I don’t think so. I don’t know yet. I haven’t planned anything. I figured I’ll just know when the moment’s right. I’m not sure if she’d want me to make a big deal out of it—with everyone else there.”
Blane gave him one of his rare smiles. “Hey, if you want to make tonight about your engagement—or whatever you’re calling this—I don’t have a problem with it. Don’t feel like you’re stealing my thunder or anything.”
Mav rolled his eyes. “Of course you don’t mind. You want him to do you a favor and take the attention off of you. But it’s not going to happen—it’s your birthday. We’re celebrating. And who knows? Maybe you’ll find a woman who can put up with you.”
He looked around at the others. “There must be some single women around, right?”
“There’s Shelley’s friend Harper,” Ace suggested. “She’s a lot of fun—but I don’t know, Blane…”
“Hey, Trip—sorry, bud, but I’ve got to go,” Emmett interrupted.
“I’m glad I was here for this.” He met Trip’s gaze and smiled. “Happy for you. But now that you’ve picked the ring, I need to be on my way.”
He nodded at the others before turning and hurrying out of the store.
The others all exchanged puzzled looks, and Cash asked Trip, “Is he okay?”
Trip nodded. He wasn’t about to explain what he thought the reason for Emmett’s hasty departure had been.
“He’s starting to come out of himself a bit more—but he’s not sure of it yet. I think it’s best we let him take off when he needs to… and just hope he keeps coming back around.”
“Yeah,” said Travis. “I know he had stuff to do in town this morning. He was here—that’s what matters. And he’s coming out tonight. Or so he says.”
~ ~ ~
After Trip left, Shelley took her time putzing around the house. She had most of the day to play with, and she knew Harper liked to take her time getting ready to face the world in the morning when she could.
As she folded Trip’s pajamas and put them on top of the laundry basket, she smiled to herself. That first Friday night that he’d let her borrow them, seemed like a lifetime ago now. At the time, she’d wanted a mattress as comfortable as the one in Trip’s spare room… and she hadn’t even dared allow herself to want Trip.
She trotted down the stairs carrying the laundry bag with her. She and Anita, his housekeeper, were figuring things out between them. Shelley was trying to walk the line between not wanting to take over and hating to feel like a burden. Fortunately, Anita was understanding—and at the same time, she was prepared to stand her ground. Even better, when she’d talked to Trip about it, he’d said he’d prefer the two of them figure it out between themselves.
From the window in the laundry room, she could see the barn—and Brody, sitting on a bench behind it. It looked like he was working on something, but she couldn’t tell what it was.
Seeing him there made up her mind. She’d been considering going for a walk this morning before heading to see Jim and Harper, and seeing Brody felt like a nudge to do just that. She knew she wouldn’t start feeling completely at home until she was comfortable wandering around the property by herself—and her curiosity over what Jim had said about getting Brody to come out with everyone tonight was motivation enough to get her out the door.
She enjoyed the feel of the warm sun beating down on her back as she walked along the driveway toward the barn. Brody spotted her long before she reached him and raised his hand in greeting. A couple of cowboys came out from the bunkhouse and climbed into a truck, tipping their hats at her as they passed. She smiled and waved, feeling bad that she didn’t even know their names. She’d have to change that.
Brody got to his feet and came to meet her.
“Hey, Miss Shelley. Is everything all right? Do you need anything?”
“No, thanks. I’m sorry to disturb you. I don’t need anything—I just wanted to come out for a walk.”
“That’s good. I mean, that you’re happy to wander about the place while Trip’s not here.” He frowned. “I know he’s not here because I saw him and Trav leaving this morning. They’re spending some time with the guys today, right?”
“That’s right,” she said. “And did you know everyone’s meeting up at Chico tonight? Cash and Mav and Blane are here, and everyone’s going out for Blane’s birthday.”
She was surprised when he chuckled. “Yeah, I know. Trip already told me. And don’t worry—I talked to Ford. I think he planned to go anyway, but we’ll hang out and have a beer.”
She gave him a puzzled look. “I wasn’t worried. I don’t know what you mean.”
“Oh, right.” He smiled. “I know. I can tell you because Trip said there are no secrets from you. What it is, is that Cash wanted to make sure Ford wouldn’t back out tonight—since he’s bringing Amelia.”
“And why would that be a secret?” she asked.
“I guess you don’t know Cash that well yet, then,” Brody said with a smile. “He likes to play puppet master. Only with the best of intentions, but he tends to pull the strings from behind the scenes.”
Shelley smiled. “So Ford likes Amelia?”
Brody rubbed a hand over his chin. “I don’t think I can answer that one. See, Trip doesn’t mind me sharing any of his secrets with you—but Ford? I don’t reckon that’s my business to tell.”
“Yeah, that sounds fair to me. In fact, it’s more than fair. I like your approach. Thanks for being so upfront about it.”
He nodded. “It’s just the way I work.”
“Would you mind if I ask you about one of your own secrets?” Shelley ventured.
He smiled. “I don’t reckon I have any. What makes you say that?”
“It’s just a guess—and I may be wrong. I’m curious, and I know it’s none of my business, but…”
“Go on,” he encouraged when she didn’t continue. “You can ask anything. If it’s a secret, I’ll say so.”
“That’s fair.” She hesitated, then said, “When I was at Jim’s place last night, he and Banner were talking about coming out with everyone tonight, and Jim said Banner should make sure that you know about it. That it’s Blane’s birthday. And… that Brooke will be there.”
Brody smiled through pursed lips, and his eyes seemed to twinkle as he nodded. “You gotta love the old guy.”
“Absolutely,” Shelley agreed. “I haven’t known him all that long, and I won’t deny that I’ve fallen in love with him.”
“I reckon you’ve spent enough time with him to know just how sharp he is. He doesn’t miss a trick.”
“I’m aware.”
Brody chuckled. “How about this is one of my secrets that you keep?”
She raised her eyebrows.
“I don’t think many people know,” Brody explained. “Even Trip.” He shrugged. “Brooke’s an amazing girl. And…” He frowned again. “She’s too good for the likes of me. And then there’s the small matter of her big brother, Blane. And Trip and the rest of them are all like big brothers to her. She calls them the Big Brother Brigade.” His smile faded. “Anyway, like I say—I’ve got nothing to offer a girl like her. She’s going places.”
He sighed. “So, yeah. Jim wasn’t wrong. I like her. But there’s nothing to worry about.”
“I wasn’t worried,” said Shelley. “But now I will be.”
“What do you mean?” Brody asked.
“I’ll worry about you. Maybe letting her slip through your fingers—if you don’t step up.”
He frowned. “It’s not about stepping up. It’s about respecting who she is.” He gave her a small smile. “And who her brother is.”
“Is this a secret I have to keep all to myself?” Shelley asked.
He knew exactly what she meant. “I’d rather you didn’t mention it to Trip. But I don’t want to put you in a position where you feel like you’re keeping secrets from him.”
She smiled. “That’s okay. We already had this discussion, Trip and I. I was concerned that by working with Jim, I’d end up knowing things about his friends that he doesn’t. He assured me that he doesn’t have a problem with it. And he won’t. Keeping confidences is part of my work. I won’t tell. I promise.” She met his gaze. “At least not until you say I can. How about that?”
Brody smiled back. “I’d like to think the day will come when I might have reason not to care who knows about the way I feel for her. But… I doubt it.”
“Well, I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed for you,” said Shelley.