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Twenty-Four
It was the timing. That was Talulah’s biggest stumbling block. She was as caught up with Brant as he was with her, and she knew it. But their relationship seemed to be moving at the speed of light. Could they rely on their feelings? Or in three months, six months, a year, would the intensity of what they felt for each other fade or suddenly deflate like a punctured balloon?
Becauseshewas willing to make sacrifices for him, too; she just didn’t want to sacrifice her business and everything she’d established in life for nothing.
She forced herself to imagine what it would be like to live in Coyote Canyonafterbeing dumped by Brant. What would she do then? How would she face the heartbreak, the disappointment, the humiliation and the prospect of having to start all over again—either here or somewhere else?
There was so much hanging in the balance; she was taking a wait-and-see approach. But they spent as much of the next week together as they could, dodging Averil and Charlie and being careful not to let anyone else in town see them, either. She cooked for Brant and, sometimes, his brothers. He took her to the lake for an evening alone, and they enjoyed a long boat ride before making love in a secluded cove. Another night they camped out on the ranch, under the stars. When they weren’t together, they texted each other constantly. She even started bringing him lunch because she couldn’t wait until the end of the day to see him.
Paul wouldn’t accept her calls, even when she tried to reach him at the restaurant, which seemed rather immature, considering they owned a business together. Fortunately, her employees assured her that all was well at the diner. She got the impression they’d heard an earful about her, but she tried not to react to that. She preferred to behave as professionally as possible, even if Paul was stretching the truth and telling everyone she’d cheated on him.
At least Debbie and the baby were thriving. And Talulah was getting along well with Jane and Ellen, both of whom came over to help pack whenever they could. Averil was so involved in fighting with her ex over unpaid child support and dealing with extended family visiting from out of town that, other than an occasional text, she was too busy to contact Talulah. Which was lucky for Talulah, given the amount of time she was spending with Brant. Averil did call on Thursday to invite her over for dinner on Sunday, however. She said their company would be gone by then. She also said she’d had a talk with her parents, who felt it was time to sit down and speak with Talulah themselves.
“You’re not really going to have dinner with the Gerharts, are you?” Brant asked when she told him about the call. It was late Friday afternoon, and he was guiding Sadie, the reins held loosely in one hand, while she rode on the saddle behind him, both arms around his waist. Brant had received a call from their neighbor, saying an Elway steer had gotten out, so Brant had to check the fencing in the south forty to see how that had happened before quitting work. Since Talulah was mostly prepared for the estate sale she planned to hold tomorrow, she’d snuck over so she could go on this errand with him.
“I said I would,” she told him.
“You might want to rethink that one, Lu.”
He was more protective of her than any guy she’d ever been with. But he was protective of everyone he loved—without being possessive or overbearing. He gave her the feeling he’d stand by her no matter what she decided, which engendered so much trust. That was one of the things she loved most about him. “I can understand why you’d be worried about the Gerharts.” Sunday dinner at their placedidsound daunting. And yet... Talulah had shared many, many meals with Charlie’s family in the past. They’d been a big part of her childhood. She’d even gone on several camping trips with Averil—could still remember seeing Yellowstone for the first time when she was with them. “But...how could I say no? Besides, Dinah sets the tone for the whole family, and I doubt she’ll treat metoobadly, not now that Averil and I are speaking again. She’s also a good friend of my mother’s.”
“But what do you hope to achieve by going?” he asked. “You don’t think they’ll be happy when they find out we’re together, do you?”
Brant had made his feelings about her clear the night they’d returned from Billings, and to her surprise he hadn’t wavered since. There’d been no second thoughts, no backtracking. She got the impression he’d decided on her and that was that.
Even to Talulah it felt as though they were meant to be together. She had zero desire to see any other man. But they both knew she had to go back to Seattle and take care of the diner while Paul was gone. She was waiting to see how she felt while she was away from Brant and back in the place she’d thought she was happy before. “If they can get past what I did to Charlie, I don’t see why they’d care who I’m with.”
“That might be true for anyone else you might be with, but it won’t be true for me.”
He was right. But what if she didn’t end up with Brant? Then she’d regret not taking advantage of the chance tofinallyhave her apology accepted. She’d felt bad about Charlie and Averil for so long... “I can see that, but...the invitation caught me off guard. I didn’t know how to respond, except to agree and act excited to see everyone.”
“Did she say if Charlie will be there?” he asked.
“She didn’t.”
“I bet he comes. This will be like the funeral. He seems to think that, at some point, you’re going to regret your decision to cut him loose.”
Talulah wouldn’t put it past Charlie to show up. But she cared enough about Averil and the other Gerharts to risk it. “That’ll never happen.”
“I bet he’s still driving past your place every chance he gets.”
“Maybe,” she said. “Since I’ve been sneaking out to meet you every night, I wouldn’t know. I haven’t been there to notice any headlights.” She and Brant felt safer seeing each other at the ranch, where they were less exposed. She usually hurried across the field behind her house to Ellen’s barn, where he picked her up. She always left a few lights on at Phoebe’s to make it appear that she was home. But if Charlie had been checking consistently, he might be wondering why she never passed in front of the windows anymore. “If he’s at dinner, I’ll simply be polite and hope he’ll do the same,” she said.
Sadie tried to turn back to the barn. She obviously knew it was the end of the workday and wanted to be home. But Brant redirected her. “What will you say if they ask you about me?”
“I’ll tell them you’re so good in bed you’re irresistible,” she teased, slipping her arms tighter around his waist.
“I’m serious,” he said.
She was surprised byhowserious. “What do you want me to say?”
It took him a moment to respond. “I don’t know. Sometimes it feels like you love me so much you’ll never leave me. The way you act when we’re together—it’s like you’re already part of me. And other times...”
“I’m just trying to be careful, take it slow,” she said.
They continued in silence for several minutes. Then he said, “If youdocome back to me after Seattle, where would you like to live?”
“Here in Coyote Canyon, I guess.”
