Cowboy Come Home (4 page)

“Yeah, him,” Chad said laconically.

“Chad, that’s not fair,” Camille hastily said, before she realized Griffin wouldn’t appreciate any defense.

“Well, it sure wasn’t me.”

Jake ignored Chad and looked at Griffin. “What happened?”

Griffin shrugged. “I mentioned that Mother was pregnant with me before she left town.”

“To Mrs. Widdaker.” Chad added.

Jake groaned. “Well, you certainly know how to stir the pot.”

“What difference does it make? I’m leaving tomorrow. I’ll apologize if it brings any embarrassment to you, but that could be the only reason it would matter.”

“I’ve been meaning to talk to you about your plans,” Jake said. “After everyone goes home, we’ll have a chat.”

Camille thought it was a measure of the friendship that had developed between the cousins that Griff only nodded, showing no stress about Jake’s request.

She wondered what Jake had in mind.

Even though she wasn’t staying permanently at the ranch, she hoped Jake intended to invite Griff to stay. The loneliness that surrounded him ate into her peace.

She almost laughed aloud as she recognized how silly her thoughts were. She was no better off than Griff as far as family. In fact, her situation was lonelier. All she had was Megan, and she wasn’t blood kin.

Griffin had four cousins and their wives and children. And somewhere, he probably had a father.

“Mr. Randall,” Mrs. Widdaker called from across the room, pushing her way toward them. “I know who your father is!”

Chapter Three

E
veryone in the large room stopped talking and stared first at Mrs. Widdaker and then at Griffin. He clenched his teeth, fighting the urge to inform the entire county what he thought about his father.

Then he started as soft, warm fingers slid around one of his clenched fists. The one closest to Camille. He stared first at her hand and then at the beautiful woman beside him. Did she think he needed protection?

“It must be Red,” Mrs. Widdaker announced, delighted to be the center of attention.

Before Griff could say anything, Red stepped forward. “It damn well isn’t. Not that I wouldn’t like to claim Griff as my son. But I’m not his father. Margaret and I were friends, that’s all.”

Jake laid a warm hand on Griffin’s shoulder, as if hoping to silence an angry response, but Griff spoke anyway. “I wish you were, Red. But since we both know you’re not, we’ll. drop the subject. I don’t have any interest in the man, whoever he is.”

“But—” Mrs. Widdaker began, only to be cut off by B.J., the Randall closest to her.

“Have you tasted my aunt Mildred’s broccolicheese dip, Mrs. Widdaker? She’s going to enter it in the state fair in Douglas next year.”

To Griff’s surprise, the woman was distracted by BJ.’s words. He frowned.

Jake whispered as he offered a pat on Griff’s shoulder before taking his hand away, “Mrs. Widdaker always takes home the blue ribbon. She wouldn’t take any competition lightly.”

Griff nodded, but he was distracted by those warm fingers that continued to hold on to him. Finally, he tugged on his hand, and Camille jumped, as if she’d forgotten what she held. He leaned over. “Did you think I needed protection?”

Her cheeks bloomed with color, only increasing her beauty, but she didn’t look at him. “I—I was concerned.”

Because the comfort she offered was unusual, charming, tempting, he spoke more coolly than he should have. “I’m a big boy. I can take care of myself.”

“Of course. Excuse me.” If he’d been cool, Camille’s tone was frigid. Before he could offer an apology, she moved away.

He looked guiltily at Jake.

“You say something wrong?” he asked.

“She—I—I guess so.”

“So you apologize later. She’ll forgive you.”

“It might be best if I don’t, Jake. I may have given all of you the wrong idea. I have no interest in—in a relationship. I don’t want anyone to get the wrong idea.”

Jake raised an eyebrow. “You sound like some of my brothers when I urged them to marry.”

Griff couldn’t help smiling at the speculative look in Jake’s eye. “Don’t even think it, cousin. I’d be a whole lot tougher sell than those guys.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Because romantic love wasn’t a happy topic at our house. My mother never forgave the man who betrayed her. She never found comfort with another man. I grew up hearing the catechism of pain and heartbreak.”

“Look around you, Griff. I’m sorry for your mother, but others find true happiness.” Jake focused his gaze on his wife, holding Caroline as she chatted with the neighbors. “Some of us get so lucky we’re afraid to breathe.”

“My point exactly. I don’t have any trouble breathing, because I’m in control of my happiness.” Griff caught his gaze drifting to a certain blonde, but he jerked his gaze away before anyone could notice. He hoped.

“Uh-huh,” Jake agreed, but there was laughter in his voice. “We’ll see.”

“Besides, I’m leaving in the morning.”

“Why?”

Jake’s question startled Griff, the second time he’d been shaken from his thoughts this afternoon. “Because I’ve done what I came to do.”

CAMILLE COULDN’T BELIEVE she’d embarrassed herself as she had. She had no connection to Griffin Randall, and he’d made it clear he had no interest in her.

But her heart ached for him.

She wasn’t in love with him. No, that was a game she wasn’t anxious to play again so soon. But he was hurting. Like the puppy she’d brought home one day. Or the friend whose family life was awful. Or the children she’d tried to help through one of the charities she sponsored.

She’d suffered through her father’s death six months ago. She knew how much it hurt to lose both parents.

She’d only been trying to help Griffin, but he thought she was coming on to him. Well, he could suffer on his own now. She wasn’t getting near him again.

“What happened?” B.J. asked, stopping beside Camille. “Did he take Jake’s offer?”

“What? Who?” Camille asked.

“Griff. Did Jake make his offer?”

“Not while I was around. Nothing happened.”

B.J. studied her. “Did he say something to upset you?”

“No. I’m fine. Shall we clear the food? People are starting to leave.”

“No. We’ll all gather around the table and have supper in a little while. I doubt if many of us got much to eat.”

“B.J.?” Jake called from across the room, motioning for her to join him.

“Want me to take Caroline?” Camille immediately offered. “Is she ready for her nap?”

“Oh, bless you, Camille. Yes, she is. Would you mind taking her upstairs?”

In answer, Camille reached out for the little girl. She’d been willing to help with the kids ever since she arrived. After all, it was a novelty for her. But she was even more eager today because she wanted to be far away from the cold man across the room.

As THEY GATHERED around the table when the last of the guests had gone, Griff saw that Camille wasn’t there. He kept waiting for someone else to notice, but with all the noise of the family, no one did.

Finally, he leaned over to Jake. “Isn’t Camille going to eat?”

Jake then noticed the empty chair beside Griffin. He looked to his right at B.J. “Where is Camille?”

B.J. also seemed surprised. “I don’t know. She put Caroline down for her nap.” She leaned forward. “Anyone seen Camille?”

“I’ll go check on her,” Megan offered. Before she left the room, she stared at her husband. “You keep an eye on Elizabeth.”

“Always, sweetheart,” he agreed with a big grin.

Griff turned away, unwilling to admire the love that flowed between the couples in the room. He had no intention of being persuaded to believe in happily-ever-after.

Megan entered the room with Camille right behind her. Griff turned his stare to his plate. It was the only safe spot in the room.

Camille came to an abrupt halt at the other end of the table. “Um, do you think you could all shift down one seat? I have something I need to discuss with Mildred.”

Griff whipped his head up and stared at the young woman. Her normal seat was beside him. Did she have to make her antagonism so blatant? It irritated him that she was announcing her displeasure so openly.

None of the Randalls questioned her, however, good-naturedly shifting down the table. Which put Brett next to Griffin.

“Stepped in it, did you?”

Griff glared at the young man beside him. “Not at all. You heard her. She wants to talk to Mildred.”

Brett laughed. “Sure.”

Griff returned his attention to his plate.

As a contented silence fell over the group, Jake put down his fork. “So, Griff, we’ve been talking.”

Griff frowned. Jake’s words seemed to have some significance. He waited, his attention on the man beside him.

“You don’t legally have any claim to our ranch.”

Griffin straightened in his chair and opened his mouth, but Jake held up a hand, stopping him.

“Let me finish,” Jake asked. When Griffin subsided, he said, “We think you should share in the Randall legacy, however. Dad would’ve wanted that.”

“Jake, you don’t owe me anything,” Griff hurriedly said. In fact, he didn’t want their offer, whatever it might be. He didn’t want to owe anyone. Ever.

“We’re not offering to carve up the land for you,” Jake assured him with a grin. “But we do have something in mind.”

“Jake, really—”

“We want to buy the ranch next to ours. You could still live here with us. We’ll show you how to do everything, share our ranch hands with you. With your skills with the horses, you could—”

“Jake, I can’t accept.” Griffin tried to keep a smile on his face, but he felt it disappearing.

Jake wouldn’t stop. “You don’t understand, Griff. We may not have Persian rugs and priceless art, but we have oil wells. We have more money than we need. We were thinking about buying old man Haney’s place anyway, but we’d have to hire more men. It’s a perfect solution.”

Griffin closed his eyes, unable to look at the happy expectation in Jake’s eyes, even in his brothers’. He’d never met such selfless, good men. “No!”

Chad finally broke the silence that followed Griffin’s response. “The land’s not good enough for you?”

Griffin drew a deep breath, but he kept his gaze fixed on his plate. He couldn’t face these people.

“I have to return to Chicago.”

Brett spoke up. “You have a woman waiting for you?”

Someone down the table gasped. Griffin was tempted to lean forward, to see if it was Camille who reacted so noisily. But he didn’t dare.

“No.”

“Then what’s in Chicago?” Chad demanded.

“My life!” Griffin retorted.

When silence again greeted his words, he sighed. “Look, I appreciate your hospitality. You’ve been generous, kind—hell, you’ve been damn saintly!” he exclaimed. “But I don’t belong here.”

“You know,” Jake said calmly, after taking a bite of macaroni and cheese and chewing, “you’ve never told us about your life in Chicago. What do you do there?”

What did he do there? Good question. The past year, he’d taken care of his mother. He’d scarcely seen anyone, never daring to leave her alone. One elderly neighbor had come in once a week so he could do the grocery shopping and run errands. He could’ve hired some help, but his mother didn’t want strangers around.

“I was a stockbroker,” he snapped.

Another gasp. What was wrong with the woman? This time he glared down the table, seeking Camille out. He discovered she’d closed her eyes, her pale lashes resting against even paler cheeks.

Jake brought his attention back to the subject at hand. “Was?”

“I retired when Mother got sick.”

“Retired? You must be a lot older than you look,” Pete offered with a chuckle. Several others joined in.

Griffin realized he should’ve been more guarded in his answer. But it was too late now.

“I got lucky,” he said gruffly.

“Lucky with someone else’s money!” Camille leaped to her feet after her bitter words filled the air, and she hastily excused herself and ran from the room.

Megan, with an apologetic smile in Griff’s direction, followed her.

“What was that about?” Griffin asked.

“I’m afraid Camille just had a really bad experience with a stockbroker,” Chad explained.

“She lost some money? Buying stock is a form of gambling. Surely her broker warned her of the possibility?”

“I don’t think so,” Jake drawled. “People seldom warn you right before they skip town with all your money.”

Griffin considered Jake’s answer, wanting more details, but Jake wasn’t willing to change subjects.

“We can discuss Camille’s misery another day. Tonight we need to settle things between us.”

“What’s to settle, Jake? I don’t belong here.”

Red spoke for the first time. “Why don’t you? You’re a Randall, aren’t you?”

Griff smiled at the man. “It’d be hard to deny, sitting next to Jake.”

“Damn right,” Jake agreed with a chuckle.

“But because we look alike, because my mother was raised here, doesn’t mean I should live here. I belong in a big city. Where I’ve always lived.”

No one responded, and Griff breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe they understood at last.

“You know, I’ve never been to Chicago. What’s it like?” Jake asked as if nothing important had been under discussion.

Griff was ready to describe his hometown when the door opened and Camille and Megan returned to their places at the table. He watched Camille, but she never looked his way. Murmuring something softly to Red, who sat at the foot of the table, she picked up her fork as if she were starving to death.

“Uh, Griff? Chicago?” Jake prodded.

“Oh, uh, yeah,” he replied, hoping his cheeks weren’t as red as they felt. “Chicago is big, busy. It’s on the banks of Lake Michigan. There are beaches and museums, parks and office buildings. Anything you want.”

“Sounds like a fine place,” Jake said, nodding.

Griffin nodded. Great. Jake accepted his decision, and he’d be out of here first thing in the morning.

“But Chicago will still be there next week, won’t it? I’d really like for you to hang around here a few more days.”