Kiss Me (Fool's Gold series) (27 page)

The oldest brother—Rafe, she thought—handed her a heavy blanket to drape over her shoulders. When that was in place, he passed over a thermos of coffee.

“Th-thank you,” she said.

“Looked like we might have to call search and rescue there for a minute,” he said.

“You saw that?”

“First time I ever saw a steer save somebody.” He patted her back and left her so he could bring coffee to the others.

The hot liquid warmed her hands and stomach and eased some of her shaking. The blanket was old and musty, but at this point she wouldn’t care if she had to share it with an entire mouse family.

How nice to live in a town where you could count on people to help when help was needed, she thought. Fool’s Gold was that kind of place. Back at Reilly’s house, there’d been no question about whether the Strykers would jump in, only about whether they would get there in time.

Phoebe watched the last of the cattle reach the safe side of the river. No matter how cold she was, she knew she would never forget this day or the knowledge that she’d made a difference. They all had.

* * *

“I
T
STOPPED
RAINING
,” Lucy said from her seat by the window. “Maybe they’ll be back soon.”

C.J. patted the sofa cushion next to her. “Thad said they’d call when they were heading back.”

Lucy sighed, then walked toward her. “Are they okay?”

C.J. ignored the fear inside of her and nodded. “Sure. They’re fine. Zane’s been a cowboy all his life. He’s not going to let anything happen to anyone.”

Lucy’s light brown eyes filled with tears. “Promise?”

Without thinking, C.J. held open her arms. Lucy rushed into her embrace. Tommy, sitting next to her, snuggled close.

“I don’t want Thad to drown,” the boy whispered.

“It’s just a little rain,” C.J. told him, trying not to think about flooding streams or snow runoff. “I’m sure they’ll be wet and cold, but they’ll survive. You’ll see. And when they all get back here, we’ll listen while they tell us everything.”

Both children stared at her. C.J. willed them to believe her or at least to pretend to. Keeping up her spirits and acting calm when all she wanted to do was pace sucked up a lot of energy.

Lucy burrowed into her side. “Okay,” the girl whispered. “Want to read us a story?”

“Sure.”

Tommy stood and raced off to get a book from the library. They’d found a stash of them there earlier that morning. Probably leftovers from when the old man’s grandson had been little.

While the boy was gone, C.J. smoothed Lucy’s hair off her face.

“You need to think good thoughts,” she said. “Sometimes that helps.”

“Not always,” the child told her.

C.J. stared into Lucy’s face and knew the girl had seen things she, C.J., could never imagine. She and her brother had faced horrors no child should have to deal with. And if she and Thad didn’t do something, they would return to a life in hell.

Her throat tightened, and her voice got thick.

“I always wanted a little baby of my own,” she said softly. “Not because babies are that special, but because I never thought I was very good with children. You know? I don’t ever know what to say or how to act. I thought if I had a baby, I would raise it so that it knew I loved it, even when I made a mistake.”

Lucy looked away. “Yeah. A lot of people want babies.”

“Sometimes what we want isn’t the right thing for us to have,” C.J. continued. “There was this boy I really liked in high school. I desperately wanted him to ask me out, and when he didn’t, I thought I would die. I was so heartbroken. Then I met Thad, and I loved him so much more than that other boy. It turned out he loved me, too, and he wanted to marry me. If I’d gone out with the first boy, I would have gone to a different college, and I never would have met Thad. So not getting what I thought I wanted was a good thing. Does that make sense?”

Lucy stared at her. “I guess. Maybe.”

C.J. stroked her cheek. “I thought I wanted a baby. If I’d had one, or if Thad and I had adopted one, we never would have come on this cattle drive. We never would have met you and Tommy.”

The hope in Lucy’s eyes was so bright, it was painful to see.

“You mean not getting what you wanted was a good thing?” she asked quietly, almost fearfully.

“Absolutely,” C.J. told her, then hugged her close. “I want you and Tommy to come live with us. I may not always do the right thing or say the right thing, but that’s because I’ve never been a mom before. It’s not because I don’t care. Can you remember that?”

Lucy nodded, then caught her breath on a sob.

Tommy walked back in the living room. “What?” he asked as he set down his book. “What happened?”

“I told Lucy that I’d like you two to come live with me and Thad.”

Tommy’s smile was pure joy. He whooped loudly and flung himself at C.J. She felt herself being crushed and strangled by skinny little kid arms. Their warm bodies pressed close. Life had never been so good.

* * *

T
HE
CATTLE
MADE
it to higher ground by sunset. Wet, tired and shivering with cold, the riders rode through the growing darkness, back to Reilly’s house.

The Strykers had volunteered to stay with the herd, and Zane had gladly accepted. He considered getting everyone warm and fed his priority.

Three hours after Phoebe had nearly fallen in the river, he still couldn’t draw in a full breath. When she’d slipped, he’d known he could never survive losing her. If she’d been hurt, or worse, it would have been his fault. All of it. Because he’d been so determined to teach Chase a lesson. The irony was Zane had been the one to learn a thing or two in the past week.

He checked his cell phone, and when they were within range of a tower, he handed it over to Reilly who called to let the folks at the house know they were on their way back.

The moon rose in a clear sky, allowing them to see the trail back. The horses sensed their destination and cantered the last five miles.

Zane and his crew arrived wet, tired, hungry and proud. C.J., the kids, Andrea, Matilda, Eddie and Gladys greeted them. Danny and Chase took the horses. Zane helped Maya down from her horse, then reached for Phoebe. He was stunned when he felt her cold, soaked clothes.

“Run a bath,” he yelled to the housekeeper. He turned back to Phoebe. “Can you feel your toes?”

“No, and I don’t want to. They’re going to hurt.”

Maya came over and wrapped an arm around her. “Don’t sweat it, Zane. I’ll make sure she gets warmed up. See what happens when you cross a river. When I get back to the city, I’m not leaving my house for at least six weeks. And I’m going to spend all my time ordering things delivered. There will be no roughing it for me.”

Phoebe shivered as she walked toward the house. “I liked it. It was all very exciting. Well, not the river, but the rest of it. Wasn’t Manny brave? And he saved my life. I need to get him a gift. What do you think he’d like?”

“His balls back.”

Zane followed them into the house. He found Martin, Reilly and Thad telling the women what had happened. They stopped talking when he entered and surrounded him.

“That was great, Zane,” Martin said. “Talk about an adventure.”

“I’ve never experienced anything like this,” Thad said, as he wiped mud from his face. He turned to his wife. “Honey, you should have been there. The water was rising, the cattle were restless. I wasn’t sure we were going to make it.”

“You could try to sound a little less excited about dying,” C.J. told him.

Thad grinned and caught her up in his arms. “I missed you and the kids.”

“We missed you, too.”

“You did good, Zane,” Gladys said, drawing his attention away from Thad and C.J.

Zane shook his head. “I messed up big-time. I’m sorry.”

Gladys brushed off the apology. “You might think you’re perfect, son, but that’s not the case. You’re just as flawed as the rest of us. And you know how to show folks a good time. Eddie and I will never forget this vacation. In fact, if you want to do it again next year, count us in.”

“That’s right,” Martin said. “Only no rain.”

Zane held up his hands. “I’ll see what I can do.”

Everyone laughed and talked. Zane backed out of the room and turned to go help in the barn. As he reached for the front door, it opened and Chase stepped inside.

“The horses are all in stalls,” he said. “Danny’s going to rub them down and feed them. I’m going to change my clothes, then I’ll head back out to help him.”

“I’ll go with you.”

They walked toward the stairs. At the foot, Zane paused and touched his brother’s arm. “You did good today.”

Chase shook his head. “No, Zane. I made a big mistake. Phoebe could have died out there. We could have lost the steers. All because I pulled some stupid stunt. I’m sorry.”

Zane’s throat tightened. He tried to speak but couldn’t. So he wrapped his arms around Chase and pulled him close.

“It’s okay,” he managed at last, his voice hoarse. “I screw up all the time, too. The thing is, I never let you see that.”

Chase hugged him back. “For real?”

They straightened and stared at each other. He quickly told Chase the story of the stallion and how their father had reacted.

“I didn’t want you to have regrets,” Zane said. “Not like I did. But I’ve been so busy trying to save you, I’ve made your life hell.”

His brother’s eyes filled with tears. “Thanks.”

“You’re a good kid.” He shook his head. “Sorry. A good man. I’m proud you’re my brother and...” He hesitated for a second. “I love you, Chase.”

His brother sucked in a breath, then hugged him tight. “I love you, too, Zane.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

P
HOEBE
SANK
ONTO
the top stair and stared down to the great room below. When Zane and Chase hugged, she felt as if her heart was going to overflow with emotion. Or maybe she would just burst into tears.

“Are you coming or what?” Maya asked from the doorway to their bedroom. “There’s a bath waiting for you. I think you have hypothermia, Phoebe. You’ve got to get warmed up.”

It was true that every part of her body shivered and ached and that she couldn’t much feel her feet or hands, but none of that mattered.

“They’re going to be okay,” she whispered happily. Knowing the man she loved was happy made her want to glow.

“Of course they’re okay. Now come on!”

Phoebe glanced back at Maya. “They love each other. Zane and Chase. They’re hugging.”

Maya moved over to the railing and glanced down. “That’s not something you see every day. I wonder what happened.”

“Zane forgave Chase. That’s all they each needed. To forgive and be forgiven. Of course Zane still needs to be forgiven from before, but I don’t know how to make that happen. His father is dead.”

Maya frowned at her. “You’re not making much sense.”

Phoebe rested her head against the railing. “I wonder if he’ll miss me.”

“Are you going somewhere?”

“Sure. Back to my regular life.”

She tried to stand and couldn’t seem to manage it. Maya stepped behind her and helped her to her feet, then escorted her into the bathroom.

The tub was nearly full, and steam fogged the mirror.

“Take your clothes off,” Maya said, “and get in the water. It’s probably going to hurt at first, but it will warm you up. Do you mind if I borrow your laptop to check in with work?”

“Go for it.”

Maya left her alone in the bathroom.

Phoebe fumbled with her layers of damp clothing. As the steam heated her a little, she started to shake. Feeling came back into her hands and feet, and she wished it hadn’t. The first sensations were a tingling, but that quickly changed to a needlelike burning.

When she was naked, she stared at the water and sucked in a breath, then stepped into the tub.

The instant pain nearly made her cry out. She settled for a few whimpers and tried to regulate her breathing.

“It will get better,” she told herself.

After about five minutes, she found she could stand to keep her hands and feet in the tub. Ten minutes after that, she felt pleasantly toasty all over, and her brain had cleared. Unfortunately clarity brought with it hard, difficult truths.

She loved Zane. She’d probably loved him from the first time she’d met him. He was an irresistible combination of loner and lonely. She didn’t just want to take care of him, she wanted to crawl inside and heal him.

She liked how he was capable and strong, smart and at times even funny. He was quietly nurturing, taking care of others without them even realizing what he was doing. She wanted desperately to be the woman who took care of him. He was an honorable man, and how many of those had she met in her life?

But was there a future for her here? Oh, sure, she loved the outdoors and the cattle. She was pretty sure she could even bond with the goats. The thought of long winter nights spent with Zane thrilled her. But she doubted he would see the potential. Instead he would remember that she was the one who lost her belongings to raccoons and pitched her tent in a river. He would see her as frivolous and incompetent. He might enjoy her in his bed, but she doubted he wanted her in his life. He might say he loved her while he slept, but what about while he was awake?

She was going to find out, she told herself. She was going to talk to Zane and tell him how she felt and then hear what he had to say. He was too important for her to simply accept whatever might happen.

“Phoebe, are you about done in there?” Maya called through the door. “You need to come out right now. But put some clothes on first. Reilly’s here, and I don’t want you to give him a heart attack.”

“I think I could stand the shock,” the old man said with a chuckle.

“What’s wrong?” Phoebe asked, her mind instantly going to Zane.

“When I logged on to your computer, you got a couple of emails. You need to read them.”

Phoebe wrapped herself in a fluffy towel, then tugged on a thick, terry-cloth robe that had been hanging on the back of the door. She stepped into the bedroom.

“Who’s sending me emails?” she asked.

Maya sat on one of the beds with the laptop beside her, while Reilly leaned against the door frame.

“Read this one first,” her friend said as she turned the laptop to face Phoebe.

Phoebe scanned the contents. Jonny Blaze had sent a signed offer for the property. The dollar amount nearly made her eyes bug out. After she saw that he had cc’d Reilly, she glanced at the old man.

“Are you going to accept?”

“I was thinking I might. I see you held out a certain piece of land. I’m guessing it’s for that young man of yours.”

She sighed. “Zane isn’t my young man, but, yes, I want him to have it. Are you going to fuss with me about that?”

Reilly smiled. “I never fuss.”

“Good.”

While she couldn’t make up for Zane’s past, she could do a little something to ease the hurt. At least he would have closure. After all he’d been through he deserved that.

She read the rest of the email. “Jonny’s giving you forty-eight hours to consider his offer. You don’t have to respond right away.” She wrinkled her nose. “I’m really his agent on this property. You’ll want to talk to someone else. Maybe a real estate lawyer.”

“I trust you, Phoebe.”

His words made her feel good. “Thanks.”

Maya groaned. “I really hate to spoil the feel-good moment, but you need to read the next one, too.”

“What?”

Phoebe clicked the next button. The first sentence made her heart stop. The second had her collapsing on the bed.

The hearing to revoke her license had been moved up to tomorrow at noon.

Tears filled her eyes. “I’ll never make it.” And if she wasn’t there, the board would rule against her in absentia.

“Sure you will,” Reilly said briskly. “I’ll call Finn Andersson. He runs a charter company. Pack your things. I’ll drive you to the airport, and you’ll be in Los Angeles by midnight.”

“You can grab a couple of hours of sleep, then be at the meeting in plenty of time,” Maya told her. “You’ll be fine.”

Phoebe didn’t feel fine. She didn’t feel anything but empty.

She didn’t want to have to fight for her license, not when she hadn’t done anything wrong. Not when fighting meant leaving.

“We have to get going,” Reilly told her. “There’s another storm coming through. You’ll need to be wheels up in less than an hour, and it’s a half an hour’s drive to the airport.”

Phoebe stared at him. “But I have to say goodbye to everyone.”

“You don’t have time,” Maya said. “I’ll give them all hugs and kisses. Come on, Phoebe. This is your real life calling. Now get dressed.”

* * *

T
HE
NEXT
FOURTEEN
hours passed in a blur. Phoebe managed to scramble into clothes and jump into the car with Reilly. She hadn’t had any time to find Zane and talk to him, not that she was sure what she was going to say. Would he consider her affections important or just an inconvenience? Had she managed to touch him in any way, or would he simply be grateful to have her gone?

A problem she would deal with after she saved her career, she told herself. She’d managed a few hours of sleep, then got up, showered and dressed in her best suit. There was still time before she had to leave for the meeting, so she began to make phone calls.

When this had all started, she’d accepted her fate without a whimper. But not anymore. She wasn’t the same passive, accepting person she’d been in court. Somehow she’d learned she was strong, and that she mattered. Jeff might try to take her down, and he might succeed, but not without a fight. This time there wasn’t a warmhearted steer to save her butt, so she was going to have to do it herself.

She finished her last call at eleven, which didn’t give her much time to get to the noon hearing. She made it to the licensing offices quickly and waited in the foyer. So far no one had shown up, but she told herself they would. They’d always believed in her—now she just had to believe in herself.

When she walked into the conference room, Jeff was already there. One look at his face told her that there was nothing she could say or do to convince him to change his mind. For reasons she didn’t understand, he wanted to destroy her.

He’d been the one to lie and cheat in their relationship. So why was he punishing her? Why—

Who cared why, she told herself. She’d just spent a week on a cattle drive. She’d saved fifty steers from drowning. She’d crossed a raging river and had lived to tell the tale. Jeff was beneath her notice.

If she lost her license, she would find something better to do with her life. Something that made her just as happy. Because she’d learned that she could do anything.

The board entered the room and called the meeting to order. Phoebe was asked to stand and state her name. She rose to her feet, but before she could speak, the rear doors flew open and several dozen people entered.

Phoebe smiled as her former clients began to fill the room. Everyone she’d phoned had been more than willing to speak on her behalf. The Majoys who had three kids and barely got by. Betty Whiles, a single mother and diabetic. The Abbotts, the Tennants. Even Jonny Blaze had come. He gave her a big smile and two thumbs-up. She heard a couple of board members catch their breath when they recognized the movie star. Los Angelenos were not impressed by minor celebrity, but someone of Jonny Blaze’s stature still managed to get them excited.

A clerk entered the room and handed Phoebe a thick sheaf of papers. The emails she’d asked for from the people who couldn’t make the meeting. There were over a dozen glowing testimonials. The last person to enter the room was April, her boss.

Phoebe squared her shoulders and faced the board. There were seven of them, all well dressed and official-looking. She stated her name and gave them a copy of her license.

Jeff waited until she’d finished before standing. “Ms. Kitzke isn’t allowed to bring witnesses to her hearing.”

Phoebe ignored him. “I understand the rules of the hearing. However, as my competency is being questioned, there was no other way to prove myself. These former clients wish to speak on my behalf. I also have letters. They’re not only from clients, but also from financial officers explaining how I always went the extra mile to find the right loan at the best price.”

Jeff glared at her. “It’s all bullshit.”

“No, it’s the truth.”

April cleared her throat. “I brought my signed affidavit, Phoebe. Just like you asked.” She turned to the board. “The mistake with the paperwork was mine. Phoebe caught it and wanted to correct it, but I didn’t listen. I was scared I’d lose my job, so I lied.”

The head of the board, a stern-looking woman in her midfifties, dropped her half-glasses on the desk in front of her and stared at Jeff.

“I’ve investigated Phoebe Kitzke myself. She seems to be a credit to the industry. Why exactly have you brought charges against her to revoke her license?”

Just then the rear doors of the conference room opened. Everyone turned. Phoebe was stunned to see Maya walk in, wearing the elegant designer suit she’d bought for her interview with the network. She was trailed by about a dozen people. C.J. and Thad were there with the kids, along with Eddie and Gladys and Andrea and Martin. And...Mayor Marsha?

“How?” she mouthed to Maya. How had she convinced these people to come to LA on her behalf? How had they made it here so soon? Maya shrugged and smiled.

Phoebe returned her attention to the board. “I don’t know why Jeff’s doing this. We had a relationship and it ended badly. So maybe this is personal.” She shook her head. “That doesn’t matter. What you need to know about me is that I love my job. I’ve always given a hundred and ten percent because that’s who I am. My clients mattered more than anything. Even more than myself.”

She glanced at the people behind her, at her friends...in a way, her family. “Not that I didn’t love every minute.”

She turned back to the board. “I’m here because I’m not going down without a fight. I do good work. I make a difference. I care and I’m honest. I matter.”

There was more to say, but suddenly it wasn’t important. She crossed to stand next to Maya.

“That really is a great suit,” she murmured.

Her friend stared at her. “Great speech. You’re a new and improved version.”

“A cattle drive can work miracles.”

“So I’ve heard.”

Phoebe waited while the board deliberated. A calm had settled over her, and she felt that there wasn’t one thing they could say that would upset her. If they allowed her to keep her license, she would transfer it to the Fool’s Gold area. If not, she would move there and find another way to earn a living. She had no doubt that the small community would help her get on her feet. Maybe this was why she had never purchased a home for herself, because in her heart, she had always sensed that Los Angeles wasn’t her home. The home she’d been looking for was a small town with a heart big enough to welcome any wounded soul in need.