Chapter Eighteen
“What were you thinking?” Once Trish left the yard where Frankie had parked the tractor and wagon, she and Brett hurled that same question at each other.
Instead of answering her, Brett rushed on, “Why would you let her ride on the back of the wagon like that? She could have fallen off and hurt herself and the babies!”
The color receded from Frankie’s face while his was probably flushed since his skin was hot. He’d been hot since he’d run for the wagon and then wrapped his arms around Trish.
“That was dangerous.” To be honest, he wasn’t certain if he was talking about the wagon ride or what he’d done, wrapping his arms around Trish and then kissing her like he had.
“I made certain to go really slow,” Frankie said in her defense.
“But there are no sides or back on the wagon,” he pointed out. “She still could have fallen off.”
Frankie nodded. “Yeah, that was stupid.”
Guilt rushed through him for upsetting her. “We’ll fix it,” he said. “Even though I don’t think hayrides are a good idea.”
“That’s not how it looked a minute ago,” she said. “Now, tell me what you were thinking.”
He shook his head and admitted, “I wasn’t.”
She smacked his shoulder now. “That was stupid, too,” she said. “Trish just got divorced. She’s pregnant and vulnerable. She shouldn’t be getting involved with anyone right now—you, least of all.”
His pride stung, he had to ask, “Why me, least of all?”
“You and I aren’t like Blake and Maci and Liam and Elise.
We’re not looking for a relationship.” She grimaced when she uttered the last word like it left a nasty taste in her mouth.
“And we’re certainly not looking to have children.
” She shuddered when she uttered that word, like just the thought gave her chills.
Truthfully, it gave him some, too. And Trish was about to have children, not just one like Lucy but two. Two infants who would be totally dependent on someone.
He already felt as though he had too many people dependent on him, dependent on him to be strong, to be stoic, to get things done.
“It’s best for people like us to stay uninvolved,” she said. “Instead of risking someone getting hurt.”
He wasn’t sure if that someone would be Trish or him, though. She had kissed him first and more than once. But his father had raised him to be a gentleman, so he wouldn’t share that with anyone.
“I know. You’re right,” he told Frankie.
“Of course I am,” she replied. “And just think of the mess you could cause if you two keep up with this…whatever it is.”
Like Frankie, he couldn’t think of a word to describe the attraction he felt for Trish Dempsey. Or maybe he just didn’t want to put a name to it.
“The estate has finally been settled,” Frankie continued. “We’re all working well together with this partnership. You don’t want to undo all of that for…”
Love?
He gasped as the thought popped into his head. Of course this wasn’t love. He didn’t even know what love was. He’d dated before, but he’d never been in a serious relationship, one that he had imagined going anywhere. And this one certainly couldn’t lead to marriage.
Trish had made it clear she would never marry again, in case it didn’t work out and her kids had to suffer the consequences. Which made sense.
She had to put her kids first.
And Brett…
He had to put the ranch and his family first, like he’d been doing all these years.
He nodded at Frankie. “You’re right. I don’t know what that was…
” He pointed toward the wagon where he and Trish had kissed just a short while ago.
He could still taste her on his lips, still smell the scent of hay in her soft hair.
But he could never risk a repeat of that.
While he’d been worried about her falling off the wagon, he was scared to death now that he was the one falling hard for Trish Dempsey.
* * *
The minute Brett helped her off the wagon, Trish had headed straight for the house. She needed to press a cold cloth against her face to cool off her embarrassment and her attraction to the cowboy.
What was wrong with her?
Why was she forgetting the vows she’d made to herself during her divorce? She was never going to depend on another person, never going to link her life up with someone she might lose. Or with someone she might not have ever really had.
She couldn’t risk it. Not for herself and definitely not for her babies.
She didn’t want them to grow up feeling like the rope in the tug-of-war between adults. She didn’t want them to get so frayed from the struggle that they forgot who they were and what they wanted because they were trying to make miserable people happy.
She could not risk their childhood becoming the nightmare that hers had been. Except when she’d been here at the ranch.
At the Four Corners, she’d been so happy. And she was again, now that she was back. The camps were coming together. She just needed a few more activities that the kids would enjoy. And the hayride was a good one.
But Brett, as usual, was probably right about liability issues. She would need to add sides to the wagon and a gate across the back. She would ask the contractors working on the bunkhouse if they could take care of that, too.
After taking a shower to wash off the hay and the embarrassment of Frankie catching them kissing, she went back outside to find Brett already working on the wagon. Tears stung her eyes.
He was so sweet that it wasn’t fair. Even when he didn’t like what she was doing on the ranch, he helped her with it. Was that just who he was? Or did he have a reason for being so nice to her?
Did he care about her like she was beginning to care for him?
That was dangerous for both of them. Neither wanted a relationship. He’d explained his reasons, and she’d explained hers.
It wasn’t worth the risk.
But he was just so kind.
“You didn’t have to do this,” she said. “I would have asked the contractor.”
He tensed, then turned toward her. “I wasn’t sure. Thought you might start swinging the hammer yourself.” He clenched a hammer in one of his hands.
She chuckled and shook her head. “Not with the ache I already have in my side.”
He dropped the hammer and moved closer to her. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “Just the ligament-stretching thing that made me think I was having the babies early.” She patted her belly. “They’re just trying to get more room in there.” Meanwhile, she felt like if she stretched any more, she might break. And not just physically…
Emotionally, she’d already been through so much that if she let her heart stretch to include Brett, she was afraid that it might burst.
“Uh, what did Frankie say to you?” she wondered aloud.
He chuckled. “Coward. You took off.”
She chuckled, too. “Guilty.” Then her smile slipped away.
“I saw the look on her face. She was pretty appalled.” Or had she been jealous?
Frankie and Brett were very close. But Trish had figured that it was a familial, sister-brother relationship they shared.
Maybe because they were so much alike, both determined to stay single.
He rubbed his hand along his jaw, making her remember how her lips had tingled when she’d moved her mouth across it. She’d started that kiss, but she’d let him take the heat for it from Frankie.
He sighed. “She warned me not to take advantage of you.”
Trish felt more like the one taking advantage of Brett. She’d kissed him the first time. And she kept letting him help her even though she knew he wasn’t a fan of any of her plans for the ranch.
He continued, “She pointed out that you’re recently divorced, pregnant and very vulnerable.”
“Oh,” she said. “I don’t know whether that’s sweet, or if I should be offended.”
“She was being protective,” Brett said. “She loves you.”
“She loves you, too,” Trish said. “And maybe she knows that you wouldn’t be happy with me, with an instant family.”
But part of her, her heart, wished that he could be happy with her, with them. However, she was all too aware of what happened when two people wanted vastly different things. There was no way to compromise on whether or not to have children, especially since hers would be here soon.
She’d left her husband because he’d lied about what he wanted and had tried to manipulate her into changing her mind.
At least Brett had been honest with her.
She was the one who wasn’t being entirely honest with him and with herself.
Because while she’d been convinced she wanted to raise her kids alone, she could imagine how it would be to raise them with someone else.
As long as that person was as in love and as committed as she was.
Maybe she needed to be committed to even entertain the idea of marriage again so soon after ending one.
“She doesn’t want either of us getting hurt,” Brett agreed. “She also doesn’t want things to be awkward in the partnership of the Four Corners.”
“It won’t be,” Trish said. “And that—” kissing “—won’t happen again.”
Was that a flash of regret she caught passing through his dark eyes? Had he glanced at her mouth like she found herself looking at his?
She forced herself to look away. She’d already caused enough problems with the ranch. She would make certain to keep her attraction to Brett from affecting anyone else. If only she could stop it from affecting herself…
* * *
Blake was going to have to propose soon. He hated leaving Maci so much that he kept coming home late to the Four Corners. But usually when he came home, he found Brett still awake, like he was now, poring over something in Frank Dempsey’s den.
“What are you working on?” he asked his older brother.
Brett jumped as if startled. He must not have heard Blake drive up and walk into the house.
He rolled his shoulders, but the burdens he carried on them kept them looking tense like Brett’s face was.
Dark circles rimmed his dark eyes. He replied, “Just looking over some of the quotes for liability insurance for the camps, making sure they cover the petting zoo and hayrides.”
“Hayrides?” Blake repeated. “That sounds like fun.”
“Yeah, fun,” Brett said sarcastically.
“You are really struggling with this new venture,” Blake remarked. But despite how much Brett hated Trish’s plans for the ranch, he hadn’t fought them. He hadn’t even tried to get the others to vote against her.
Brett just grunted.
“Did you realize that it could be lucrative?” Blake asked him.
“Lucrative?” He sounded skeptical now.
Blake nodded. “Yeah, Elise was telling us the other night at dinner how much daycare costs. And summer camps are even more expensive. Trish’s plans will definitely support themselves and then some.”
Brett’s mouth dropped open a bit. “Really…”
So he hadn’t known that she was going to make the ranch money, but he hadn’t fought spending money on her plans. “What’s going on with you?” Blake asked him. “You’re working pretty much around the clock nowadays, skipping meals and skipping sleep, too.”
“You’ve done that yourself,” Brett reminded him. “And pretty recently, too.”
Blake chuckled. “Yeah, but I was falling in love and didn’t know how Maci and I were going to be able to make it work.”
“Figure it out yet?” Brett asked, but his grin proved he was teasing.
“Yeah,” Blake replied with a grin of his own. He felt like grinning all the time now. “And I can’t wait to propose.”
“Surprised you haven’t already,” Brett replied.
“I didn’t want to rush Maci,” he said. “I wanted to make sure the will was settled, so that she didn’t have to worry about taking Trish’s lawyer on in court and defending how she’d written up Frank’s last wishes.”
“She wrote them exactly as he wanted them,” Brett said.
Blake had wondered if Frank had told his older brother what he’d wanted. Clearly, he had.
“The estate is settled,” Brett said, then sighed. “So guess you will be proposing soon.”
Blake nodded. “I have to find a ring that she will like—”
“Ask Dad for Mom’s,” Brett suggested.
Blake’s heart flipped for a second with the thought. “That would be great, but you’re the oldest son. You should get it.”
Brett shook his head. “For what? I don’t ever intend to get married.”
“Still?”
Brett tensed. “What do you mean still? What do you think has changed?”
Trish. His brother had been different since her arrival at the ranch. And he was working himself ragged like Blake had himself when he was struggling to figure out how to make his love with Maci last.
Blake had finally realized that there was no struggle. A love like theirs, as strong as it was, would withstand any conflict. Any legal ones like the will being contested. And if health tested them like it had his parents, he knew they would take care of each other.
“Uh, I just thought that with Liam and me and Livvy all falling in love that you would realize it isn’t as risky as you think it is.”
Brett shuddered. “Still not a chance I’m willing to take. I decided long ago to focus only on the ranch. I’ll be the 24/7 person, so you and Liam can focus on your wives and families.”
Blake’s heart swelled with love for his big brother. No wonder he had always idolized him and Liam had as well. “That’s not fair, you know. Just because you’re the oldest, it doesn’t mean you have to take care of everyone else.”
Brett shook his head. “That’s not it at all. I love the ranch. It’s all I’ve ever wanted and all I will ever want. So ask Dad for Mom’s ring. I think Maci would love it.”
“Once I ask her,” Blake said, “I’m going to have a question for you, too.”
Brett tensed again.
“I can’t imagine anyone else being my best man,” he said. All their lives Brett had been his best friend.
Brett blinked. “Liam might be offended.”
“Liam would expect me to ask you, too,” Blake said. Their younger brother knew how close they were and had often been jealous of that closeness until he’d fallen for Elise.
And now Blake had fallen for Maci.
But Brett was still all alone. Like Dad.
Maybe Grandma and Grandpa were getting to him, but Blake had the sudden urge to matchmake. He wanted his older brother to be as happy as he was, as Liam and Livvy were, too. But Brett was stubborn, so stubborn that he might prefer being alone to ever changing his mind about love.