Authors: Amanda Renee
“Would you have given me the time of day if you knew the truth from the very beginning?”
Bridgett swiped at her cheeks with her fingertips. “Probably not. At least not at first. But if you stuck around long enough maybe I would have.”
“I wanted a chance with you so desperately, and I took the biggest risk of my life. Maybe I was wrong, but I wouldn’t trade one minute we spent together for anything. I would gladly give everything away and work on a ranch for the rest of my life if it meant I could be with you.”
“I have to go. I have a family dinner to get through and I’ll need to explain your absence. Please don’t show up.”
“I won’t.”
Adam’s heart broke into a million pieces as Bridgett turned and walked through the door of the luncheonette. Lark stepped outside again, and for a moment he thought she’d tell him off one more time. Instead, she studied him silently for a few long minutes and then followed Bridgett inside. Adam didn’t know her background; no one did, but he suspected it wasn’t a very pretty one. Maybe she understood more than she let on.
By now, the Langtrys had probably already heard part of the story, considering Maggie’s daughter was married to one of them. He needed to make his apologies and clear out of their place tonight, if they hadn’t already bundled his stuff and left it on the main road. Climbing into his truck, Adam scrolled through his phone for local hotel listings. He wasn’t giving up on Bridgett so easily. He’d fix this. He had to.
Adam turned the key in the ignition, and rested his head against the steering wheel. The wetness on his own cheeks took him by surprise. His chest heaved, his heart aching at the thought of never seeing Bridgett again.
* * *
“A
M
I
A
FOOL
for believing him?” Bridgett asked.
Lark shook her head. “No, I don’t think so. I hate to admit it, but much of what he said made sense. And yes, I listened at the door. None of us would’ve given him a chance if we knew who he really was. And he’s right, you can’t believe everything you read online. What was he like when you were together?”
“He was like a normal guy.” Bridgett flashed through their nights out. “I guess that’s what he wanted. No fans, no photographs.” She inwardly laughed. “The day we met, I asked if he was a reporter. He told me he’d been called plenty of things, but never that. It makes sense. He hated reporters as much as I did. I keep replaying conversations in my head. I can see where he almost told me the truth many times. He was on the verge. And half the time, I cut him short because I thought he was referring to my situation. I guess I need to learn it’s not all about me.”
Lark gave Bridgett a hug. “Are you going to be okay?”
“I’ve been worse.” Bridgett laughed. “If I can get through the twin debacle and tonight’s dinner, I think I can survive this.”
Bridgett held up her hand for a high-five, and Lark met it.
“You’re a strong woman, Bridgett.”
“Hell, I just want to toss back a bourbon or two.” Bridgett laughed. “Let me go get changed and head over to the Tanners’ for family fun night. I think I owe a few people an apology of my own.”
She knew dinner would be difficult, but she’d promised her mom they’d celebrate the holiday together. Enough promises had been broken for one night and too many people had been hurt lately. She’d let her heart finish breaking over Adam in a few hours. Right now, her mother, Abby and she needed to heal as a family.
Chapter Twelve
Adam sat in the truck for a long time before he built up the nerve to drive on to the Bridle Dance Ranch. Then, stealing his nerves, he climbed Kay Langtry’s front-porch stairs. He no longer felt comfortable using the side or the back entrances reserved for friends and family.
Kay was probably about to sit down to Thanksgiving dinner with her family, but he wanted her and the rest of the Langtrys to hear the truth from him. The door opened and Kay invited him in, leading him toward the dining room where everyone sat around a turkey ready to be carved.
“We’ve been expecting you,” Shane said.
“I bet.” Adam nervously jammed his hands into his jeans pockets. “I’ll make this short so you can get back to your dinner. You’ve probably heard the majority of it already anyway.”
“Maggie called and said you had something important to tell us,” Kay said. “But she said we needed to hear it directly from you.”
Thank God for small miracles.
“When I came to Ramblewood, I was on a mission of sorts to find myself. I am known worldwide by the name The Snake, and I am the lead singer of a rock band known for leaving a mass of destruction in its wake. When I first came on the music scene, my ex-manager created a fake biography that said I was a street performer from Miami with no family to call my own. He felt it would sell more records than the truth—that I’m a small-town Texas boy. Over the years that persona morphed into someone who was known more for his offstage antics than his onstage performance.”
“Was anything you told us true?” Lexi asked.
“All of it was. It was what I purposely left out that matters now. When I stopped in Ramblewood to check out your Harvest Festival, I had only intended on staying for the weekend. It’s no secret I fell in love with Bridgett, but I also fell in love with the community. I wanted to get back to my roots. I never lied to Bridgett or any of you. I haven’t been so open and honest with people in my life, and it was amazingly freeing. I wanted—needed—to feel human again and that’s why I asked you for a job.”
“You probably have more money than we do,” Shane grumbled.
“My net worth has been publicized repeatedly. It’s not hard to find on the internet so I will let you be the judge of that one. I wanted you to hear the truth from me, since it came out today after the charity lunch. I’m truly sorry for deceiving you.”
“And Bridgett?” Lexi asked.
“I’ve told Bridgett the entire truth. I’m afraid I may have destroyed my relationship with her for good and—and I’m having a hard time accepting it. I need you to know my feelings for her are sincere and everything I’ve done and said has been real. But I am guilty by omission, and I don’t deserve your forgiveness so I won’t ask for it.”
“You’re the one who sent in that large anonymous donation to Dance of Hope the first week you were here,” Kay said. “I remember how moved you were by our hippotherapy program and the donation arrived the following day. I had my suspicions then that it was you.”
“But you didn’t say anything.” Adam was surprised to hear that from day one Kay had questioned his story. “Why didn’t you ask me?”
“People send donations anonymously for a reason and I respected your privacy. Besides, I wasn’t certain it was you.”
“Mom’s not the only one who thought there might be more to your story,” Shane added. “After you filled out your employment paperwork, Kenny left it on my desk for me to determine if we needed to do a background check. Certain positions require verification. Ranch hands typically don’t, so I decided not to do the check. But I did question why your temporary driver’s license had been issued two days before you started working for us. I wondered if you’d really lost yours or if there was more to it. I gave you the benefit of the doubt, even though I had the opportunity to find out for sure. We have had plenty of people on this ranch come here for a second chance at life. You wouldn’t be the first and as long as you were genuine and honest with us from the beginning, I decided to overlook it.”
“You knew he wasn’t legit?” Lexi was surprised to hear her husband kept a secret from her. “He dated my best friend. Didn’t you think you owed it to Bridgett to check him out?”
Shane rubbed his forehead. “Heavens knows I’m going to regret this, but Lexi, we’ve all made mistakes, you and me included. This was between Bridgett and Adam.”
“No one is perfect.” Kay’s authoritative voice rose above the side chatter. “None of us at this table have the right to judge you or anyone else. You’re correct about not having to ask for our forgiveness, because there’s nothing to forgive. What happened before you came to Ramblewood was in your past. You’re telling us you’ve been honest since the time you arrived and I for one believe you.”
“So do I.” Shane stood.
One by one the entire family rose. Lexi stood last, which Adam understood in view of her relationship with Bridgett.
“I’m at a loss here. Thank you.”
Kay waved for everyone to slide down one seat and pulled out a chair for Adam. “Now, let’s eat before the rest of this food gets cold.”
Adam took his place at the table and watched the entire Langtry family continue to chat and pass the serving dishes as if the entire conversation had never happened. He only wished he could have this kind of relationship with his own family. Tonight he needed them more than ever.
* * *
B
RIDGETT
WAS
ABLE
to get in and out of the Bed & Biscuit without any questions from Mazie. News hadn’t traveled that far yet and Bridgett knew she only had a matter of minutes to shower and change before Mazie found out.
Pulling up in front of Clay’s parents’ house, Bridgett vowed not to let what had happened with Adam ruin everyone else’s Thanksgiving. Inhaling deeply, she pushed her shoulders back and strutted up the front walk as if she walked a fashion runway.
I can do this.
Abby swung the door open before Bridgett had a chance to knock.
“Bridgett, you look amazing. I love your dress. Where’s Adam?”
“He couldn’t make it.” Bridgett didn’t offer any further explanation, but she was certain Abby sensed she wasn’t telling her the whole story. She didn’t push for more information and Bridgett didn’t offer. By the end of the night, the entire town would hear about her humiliation once again. For a few short hours, she wanted to forget she’d ever heard the name Adam Steele.
“Come meet my parents.”
Bridgett had thought she’d be nervous meeting Abby’s parents, but she hadn’t taken into account how they would feel. It must be hard for them meeting Abby’s biological family, especially since their daughter had given up her entire life and moved to Texas to be closer to them. Her adoptive parents appeared painfully awkward and out of place despite Abby’s constant physical reassurance of a hand touch here and a hug there.
And Bridgett’s poor mother...she had never seen Ruby so quiet unless she was sleeping. Knowing her mother, she was mentally comparing herself to Abby’s parents. Seeing how much wealthier they were than Ruby, Bridgett knew her mother once again felt as if she had failed her. It broke Bridgett’s heart.
Dinner went relatively well. Bridgett was grateful Hannah was home from college. Hearing about college sororities and exams over turkey and pumpkin pie was a fun distraction from her own thoughts and feelings. Slipping out the back after dinner, Bridgett sat on one of the porch’s wooden rocking chairs and enjoyed the cool night air and solitude.
“Mind if I join you?” Abby asked.
“Be my guest.” Bridgett pointed to the other chair. “I wasn’t trying to be rude. I just needed some fresh air. It’s been a very long day.”
“You and me both,” Abby agreed. “Be glad you’re outside. My brother just told my parents he wants to move here. They’re not happy. The only reason he moved to Charleston in the first place was because I was there and the city had a decent university for him to attend. It doesn’t make sense for him to stay there now that he’s graduating. Plus he can’t afford the expenses on the house we shared. And after living in the south for four years, he doesn’t want to return to Pennsylvania’s frigid winters. He’s always wanted to be a police officer or a private investigator. Now that Wyatt will have his criminal justice degree, Clay’s been talking to him about his options, including working for him at the detective agency. Ramblewood does make sense. But it’s his decision, not theirs.”
“Abby, I don’t think that’s why they have a problem with it.” As intuitive as Abby was, Bridgett was surprised she hadn’t realized why her parents were opposed to her brother’s move. “Look at it from their point of view. They adopted you, gave you a home and raised you as if you were their own. Then you tracked down your long-lost sister and moved here to be near your biological parents and me. Then your brother follows. Your parents probably feel left out and possibly even cut out of your lives. I’m willing to bet they already feel as if you’re replacing them with your new family.”
“That’s not at all what I’m doing.”
Bridgett leaned over and squeezed Abby’s hand. “I know you’re not, although I can’t help but feel like you’re invading my territory, and I need to work on that. Wyatt needs to be a little more sympathetic to the situation. I’m not saying he shouldn’t move here, but he needs to be aware of how his actions are affecting your mom and dad. Because at the end of the day, despite all of this biological crap, they are still your parents.”
“You’re right.”
Abby sat in silence for the next few minutes. Bridgett felt her eyelids getting heavier with every rock of her chair. The L-tryptophan from the turkey didn’t help matters much. After the little sleep she’d had last night—no—she refused to spend one second remembering her night with Adam after what he’d told her today.
“If you want to talk about it, I can be a good listener—contrary to popular belief.”
Bridgett let out a long breath. “I don’t know if you would believe me if I told you.”
“Try me.”
Bridgett opened her eyes and regarded Abby for who she was, her sister. If you can’t trust your sister, who can you trust?
By the time Bridgett finished with her story, Abby’s mouth gaped open in shock.
“There’s only one surefire way to find out the truth,” Abby finally said when she regained the use of her vocal chords. “We’ll have Clay run a full background check on him. You deserve to get all the facts and find out if his whole explanation is true.”
As much as Bridgett hated to involve Clay and Abby, she did want the truth...and whatever harsh realities came with it.
* * *
A
DAM
HADN
’
T
FELT
comfortable sleeping in the bunkhouse last night, or accepting Kay’s invitation to stay in the main house. He opted to spend the night in a hotel, and booked a round-trip flight to Los Angeles so he could sign off on whatever paperwork remained to sever all ties with his old life.
Shane had agreed to keep Adam’s truck at the ranch until he returned. By the time he made it down to the hotel lobby, airport car service was waiting. As they drove out of town, Adam realized he was carrying more baggage than he’d arrived with. He’d be flying home to California with a broken heart.
* * *
T
AKING
A
BREAK
from her shift at The Magpie the next day, Bridgett ducked outside to call Lexi and find out what had happened when Adam arrived last night.
“He explained what he did and joined us for dinner,” Lexi said matter-of-factly.
“Awfully bold of him, don’t you think.” Adam definitely wasn’t the man she’d thought he was. She hadn’t imagined he’d be that brazen after revealing he had lied to her for almost two months.
“It didn’t quite happen the way you think. Everyone asked him to stay.”
“Including you?” Lexi’s betrayal pierced what was left of Bridgett’s heart, almost causing her to hang up the phone. “How could you?” she whispered.
“It wasn’t easy,” Lexi said. “How do I explain it?” She exhaled into the phone. “I believe him. I know it’s not what you want to hear, but I don’t think he lied to you. He did leave out some very crucial details and you have every right to be mad at him for that.”
Bridgett couldn’t fathom what she was hearing. “Let me guess, he’s working as a ranch hand and everything is wonderful in Adam’s world.”
“Um, no. I thought he would have told you,” Lexi said. “He left for California this morning. He’s gone, Bridgett.”
Bridgett’s stomach churned and her heart began to thud a slow, heavy beat. “He told me Ramblewood was his home now.”
“If it’s any consolation, Shane has his truck and Adam claims he’s going to be back, although we do have our doubts about it. There’s no comparison between LA and Ramblewood. I’m sorry, sweetie. I shouldn’t have said that. Do you even know if you still want him around?”
“I don’t know. He told me everything was finished in California...that he’d sold his house and had already shipped his furniture to some warehouse. But I don’t know if there’s more he’s not saying, either.”
“First I’ve heard about any of that stuff, but I would think the dissolution of a platinum-selling band would require signing mountains of paperwork. Have you checked out his net worth? Bridgett, there’s a lot of money at stake and I’m not sure how much of it could be handled long-distance.”
“He did say he had to go back to wrap things up. How much of its true is anyone’s guess.” Bridgett ended the conversation with Lexi feeling worse than she had before. She had tried calling Adam, but it had gone straight to voice mail. Not bothering to leave a message, she disconnected.
After work, Bridgett decided to drive out to Bridle Dance and talk to Kay personally. If Adam had confided in anyone, she suspected it would have been Kay.
* * *
“Y
OU
’
RE
OKAY
WITH
Adam’s lies, too?” Bridgett asked Kay as they walked along the main ranch road.
“I know you’re hurting and I can only imagine how betrayed you must feel. But from what I can reckon, the man told the truth the entire time he was here.” Kay stilled Bridgett from walking farther. “When it really comes down to it, what lies did he tell you, or any of us? He’s a horseman from Katy, Texas, who had a bad falling out with his family. He’s a cowboy who lost his way. Not unlike any of my boys at some point in their lives. Yes, he did it with much more dramatic flair than any of them, but it still doesn’t change the facts, Bridgett. Adam told us the truth from day one. It’s the rest of the world he lied to. I know this is a lot to ask, but I think he deserves a second chance.”