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“Well, he’s making up for it now,” Casey said. “If I had known who he was, I would have punched him myself.”
“Hotheadedness isn’t going to fix this,” Decker said. “I figure I’ll give him a day or two and then go see him. Maybe I can talk him out of foreclosing on the ranch if you pay off the Holidays’ debt.”
Rome wished it was that easy. “I don’t know if that’s still possible.”
“What do you mean?”
Casey jumped in. “What he means is that Cloe and Rome split up and Mimi might not be willing to sign over the land to a man who broke her granddaughter’s heart.”
“I didn’t break her heart, Casey.”
Casey rolled his eyes. “You are so damn blind where woman are concerned, Rome. You thought Emily loved you and it was as plain as the nose on my face that she was just in love with the thought of being married to a wealthy Texas rancher. Now you think Cloe was only interested in your money and paying off her family’s loan. But if that’s the case, then why did she work so hard to make the ranch a home. Her home.” He waved a hand. “But go ahead and keep your head in the sand and let her get away. I’m done trying to get through that thick skull of yours.” He turned and headed for his truck.
When he was gone, Decker looked at Rome. “I really hope Casey’s not right. If you broke Cloe’s heart, my wife is going to come after you just like you went after Corbin.” He paused. “And I won’t stop her.”
Rome didn’t care if Sweetie beat him up. She couldn’t make him feel more bruised than he already did. All the way back to the ranch, all he could think about were Casey’s words. When his headlights flashed over the front of the house as he pulled in, he realized Casey was right.
Cloe had made the house a home.
At one time, it had just been a plain stone building with no color whatsoever. Now the shutters on the living room and kitchen windows were painted a bright blue. On the porch, two lemon-yellow rocking chairs sat with daisy-print pillows. Rome had sat in those chairs, but he’d never given any thought to where she had found them or how much work it had taken to paint them and the shutters. Or to cultivate and plant the garden in a brilliant rainbow of spring flowers.
All of those things had taken time. As did cooking meals and baking pies.
Cloe hadn’t had to do any of it. She could have spent all her time with her family at their house. Instead, she worked hard to make this house as homey as her own.
Why?
Confused, he pulled into the garage and headed into the house. In the kitchen, he pulled a bag of frozen corn out of the freezer and placed it on his jaw as he made his way to the stairs. He stopped when he saw the flickering light coming from his father’s study. When he peeked in the open door, he saw Sam sitting in front of a crackling fire staring into the flames.
“Hey, Dad.”
Sam startled and glanced over his shoulder at Rome. “I didn’t hear you come in.” His gaze lowered to the bag of corn Rome was holding to his jaw. “Casey told me what happened.”
Rome moved to the chair by the fire and sat down. “I guess you’re pissed at us for causing a scene.”
“There are good reasons to cause a scene. Sounds like you had one.”
“I thought you’d be happy the Holidays are losing their ranch.”
Sam hesitated before he spoke. “Maybe it’s time I gave up that grudge.”
Rome was surprised, but he shouldn’t be. It looked like he wasn’t the only one who had fallen for Cloe. They both stared at the fire for a long time before Sam spoke.
“So she’s not coming back?”
It was hard to get the words out. “I don’t think so.”
There was a long pause before his father spoke. “I’m sorry, son.”
The words held sincerity and pain. If anyone knew how he felt, Rome figured his father did. He couldn’t help asking the question he’d always been too afraid to ask. “Why did Mama leave, Daddy? I know she was unhappy, but why was she unhappy?” He hesitated. “Was it me?”
Sam turned to him with surprise. “Of course it wasn’t you. Your mama left for a lot of reasons, but none of them had to do with you. You were just a kid. She left because of me.” He looked back at the fire. “She left because I couldn’t give her what every woman deserves—unconditional love.”
Rome stared at his father’s strong profile. “You didn’t love her?”
Sam heaved a deep sigh. “I loved her . . . just not as much as I loved someone else.”
“You were in love with someone else? Who?”
