Destiny Wears Spurs (24 page)

“Thanks, Nat. I need to prove to my father I can do this. Then I’ll enjoy tossing Wendell on his ass.”

“I know, but what then? Great company or not, I can’t believe you would be happy doing this for the rest of your life. I know what your art means to you,” Nat said.

Monica sighed. “I’ll worry about that when the time comes. All I can think about now is stopping Wendell. Thanks for your help, Nat. And thank Drew for me.”

“Already did. Twice. Just get better, okay? And be careful.”

“I will.”

There was a knock on Monica’s cabin door. Cody. Her heart soared over the thought of seeing him again, even though their “fraternizing” was coming to an end. She had Wendell to thank for that. She had Wendell to thank for messing up pretty much everything in her life. She’d see that he paid for what he had done to her. But, dammit, tonight Cody was hers.

“I gotta run. See you soon.” She flipped her phone closed and decided to stop worrying about the future. She intended to make the best of the present. It was all she could do.

It would have to be enough.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Monica snuggled in as Cody held her close on the dance floor. He hadn’t spoken much, but he’d held her all evening. She couldn’t believe she had to leave tomorrow. What would she do without him? He had become her friend, her lover, her passion. Her passion.

That’s it.
She blinked.
That’s the slogan.

Passion encompassed so many things. It would work for any of Cody’s guests. There were so many things she’d discovered she was passionate about. Life, love, the outdoors, adventure, peace and quiet, horses, cattle ... Cody. And she’d found it all right here in his arms.

She leaned back and looked him in the eye as she spoke from the heart. “Whatever your passion, your destiny awaits you at Rafferty’s Remote Ranch.”

He stared at her for several seconds, then smiled and whispered in her ear, “It’s perfect. You’re perfect.”

Storm clouds rolled in, matching the same swirling gray of his eyes. At the first fat raindrop, she said, “Cody, I,” but a cowboy whispered something to the band and stepped up to the microphone.

The crowd grew silent.

“Excuse me, folks. Before the rest of the evening is washed out, I have a question I’d like to ask a very special lady.” He turned to one of Cassie’s dudettes, and her eyes grew huge. When he reached out his hand and she took it, he got down on one knee.

The woman started to cry.

“Aw, sweetheart. Please don’t cry. I know a rough ole cowboy like myself has no right asking an angel like you to be his wife, but I love you with all my heart.” He swept his hat from his head. “If you’ll let me, I’ll spend the rest of my life making you smile.” His voice dropped to an emotional whisper, and his eyes grew misty. “You’ll be happy with me. I swear it. I’d do anything for you, honey.”

Her heart sped up, nearly beating out of her chest. She loved him, no denying it. Could he possibly love her back? She’d felt it in their lovemaking, and he’d looked at her with adoring eyes. But if Cody told her, what would she say? There was no way he would move, and she couldn’t abandon her father until she found someone suitable to take her place as CEO, providing Cody decided to use her campaign. The chances seemed good he’d like the rest, given his reaction to the slogan.

Cody led her to her cabin and refrained from speaking then pulled her inside and turned to close the door. Leaning his head against the wall, he stayed still for a moment and finally faced her. He opened his mouth, but no words emerged.

He’s nervous
, she thought, melting inside. Wanting to ease his nerves, she put her arms around him, meaning only to give him a kiss of encouragement. Their passion ignited, burning like a wildfire out of control.

He swept her up and carried her to the bed, never breaking the kiss, and kissed her desperately as if it were the last time. Then he turned tender as he laid her on the bed and undressed her. He tugged off his own clothes and slipped in beside her, using his lips and hands to bring her senses alive.

So much unspoken emotion poured out of him, she couldn’t help but shed tears. When he entered her, a single tear of his own escaped to roll down his cheek. Monica thought she’d never loved anyone more. There had to be a way to make this work.

Words were hard for Cody, but he was showing her what she meant to him with heart, body and soul. When she looked into his eyes, she inhaled a sharp breath. He loved her, too. She could see it clear as day. It touched her deeper than she ever thought possible, erasing any lingering fears she had left.

They were meant to be together. In the quiet aftermath of the most heartfelt, emotional and loving moment of her life, they both spoke.

“Okay, I know what you want to say, so why shouldn’t the woman be the one to say it?” She couldn’t believe she was saying this. She rolled on top of him, inhaling his musky scent, and then rested her chin on her hands.

He let out a huge breath. “Okay. If it makes you feel better to be the one to do it, then go right ahead, honey.”

When he looked at her with sympathy, she said, “Some people have an easier time expressing emotion, that’s all.” She trembled with the thought of laying her heart on the line, but he was worth it.

“Cody, I’ve loved you for so long now, it seems. I tried to deny it, tried to convince myself it was just about the sex, but it wasn’t. It was about so much more than that.”

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but she covered it. She had to finish this. “I came here to help my father, and I did. Once he sees that you’re going to use my campaign, at least I hope you are, he’ll take me seriously and appoint me as CEO instead of Wendell.”

“Monica, there’s something I still have to tell you.”

“Wait, I’m not done. I have it all worked out. I’ll find a suitable replacement for my position, and then I can move here. I’ve always wanted to focus on my art full-time, and they have some great studios in Denver. Maybe I can even land a show, or something, so it can work. We can be together.” She trailed her fingertips over his cheekbones, feeling the rough whiskers beneath her hand.

“Monica, you don’t understand.”

“I do, really. You’re a little gun-shy since Barbara, but I know it can work for us. After Wendell, I’d pretty much given up on finding a decent guy, but then I met you. You’re about as honest as they come.”

“But you haven’t even seen my campaign. How do you know you won’t like it?” She bit her lip as the first seed of doubt took root in her stomach, making her want to throw up.

He stood there with his hands on his hips, his face blank, yet somehow cold. “Doesn’t matter. The point is I don’t need it. Business is booming, so I’ve changed my mind.”

“Cody, please, you can’t change your mind. My father’s company depends on me pulling off this campaign. If you don’t like it, then Wendell will--”

“Wendell’s not my problem.” He sat on the edge of the bed but didn’t look at her. “I’m a business man, Monica. I have to think of myself first. I’m sorry.” He met her eyes. “Our time is over.”

She scrambled off the bed and wrapped the covers around her body. “Cody, please, this is crazy. There has to be a way to work this out. I love you. I know that you love me, too. That’s all that matters.” She stepped toward him but froze at the chill that blanketed his face.

* * *

Cody couldn’t believe it. Monica still wanted him, even though he’d turned down her campaign, but he’d given his word to her father. Cody couldn’t tell her about the phony campaign until her dad had enough dirt on Wendell and who he worked for, though it was only a matter of time before she returned home and found out. Then she’d despise him. Better now than later. He couldn’t go through the pain of falling in love with her and then losing her. She would have grown bored over time, anyway, so he decided to push her away before she did it to him.

He swallowed hard and felt the same icy chill he felt when he thought he’d lost her after the plane crash. He struggled to mask his face the way he used to and keep the emotion out of his voice as he forced the words out. “Who said I loved you?”

“Well, um ....” Her face flamed, and she began to shake all over as she clutched the covers tighter.

“No one said anything about love, and we definitely didn’t say forever.”

When she reeled, he reached out, but she sneered, “Don’t touch me.” Her face contorted into a mask of pain. “God, why do I choose men who are incapable of loving me back?”

Cody clenched his jaw, fighting hard to remain passive. All he wanted to do was take her in his arms and beg her to stay, but he couldn’t. He’d never felt more helpless in his life.

“Yeah, well, you were right. Thanks to you, I have to go back and come up with a new plan,” she cried out. “And I don’t love you, either. I don’t even like you.” She lifted dead eyes. “In fact, right now I think I hate you,” she whispered in a shaky voice. “Get out.”

He couldn’t move.

She shouted, “I said get out!”

Cody didn’t trust himself to say a word, so he turned and walked out of the cabin and out of her life. The door clicked softly behind him. It was done. He took one step and hesitated when he heard the anguished sobs from within. His heart nearly stopped beating, squeezing the life right out of his chest. Why did it hurt so much?

Had he made a mistake? He couldn’t think about that. He closed his eyes, feeling ill, then forced his feet to move, taking him back to the homestead. For a short period of time, he’d found heaven. He was thankful for that, would never regret it, but life would be worse than it was before.

He had no soul now.

He’d left it behind that cabin door, with the woman who’d stolen his heart. It was better this way. He’d kept his end of the deal with her father, and Wendell wouldn’t win. She would get what she wanted, and he wouldn’t get burned when she realized she made a mistake by staying with him. This way, everyone won.

So why did he feel like the bigger loser around?

* * *

Monica packed her things, feeling numb. It was the middle of the night, and she couldn’t cry anymore. She’d shed all the tears she had left. All her hard work, and the man didn’t want to use her campaign. She didn’t get it, but she could live with it. He was a business man, after all.

She had a lot more information on Wendell, so she might still be able to talk some sense into her father. The part she couldn’t live with was knowing her cowboy didn’t love her. She’d told herself she would be happy with a fling. That there would be no regrets. She didn’t regret the amazing experience she’d had, but she did regret falling in love.

She’d never imagined it could hurt so much. She had to leave. She couldn’t sleep, and she didn’t want to chance running into
him
again. She couldn’t even say his name. It was too painful.

She called the airport and moved up her flight. She would be gone before
he
ever got up. Then she called Cassie, who agreed to take her to the airport when Monica told her she had a family emergency.

Well, that much wasn’t a lie. She was dying of a broken heart, and right now she needed her family. Tonight. She called Natalie next who, for once, didn’t object. Nat knew exactly what Monica’s emergency was. Like a true best friend, she agreed to pick Monica up from the airport, no questions asked. No questions asked was huge, for Nat.

Several hours later, they were on the highway heading home. The silence became deafening, so Nat spoke. “Monica, I know it’s none of my business, but--”

“You’re right. It’s none of your business,” Monica snapped back, hating the uncharacteristic bitterness tingeing her voice. “And you agreed to no questions.”

Nat’s eyebrows drew together, and her lips pursed. “Okay. I’ll let that one slide because something is obviously eating you up inside. I just want to help. Does it have anything to do with Co--”