I Cross My Heart (16 page)

Nash glanced at her, his expression puzzled. “You sound as if you know who’s in that car.”

“I do.” She wondered if Nash would realize that this truly was the end of their special time together. “You’re all about to meet Opal Knightly.”

16

N
ASH
GLANCED
DOWN
AT
HIS
CLOTHES
.
He was covered with construction dust, but he couldn’t do much about that. Everyone else was in the same condition. He took off his hat, ran his fingers through his sweaty hair and put the hat back on. It was the best he could do on short notice.

Although he didn’t watch Opal’s show, he had no trouble recognizing the woman who stepped out of the limo. He’d seen her face on a bunch of magazine covers over the years. A well-endowed blonde with a famous hourglass figure, she was his idea of the perfect Southern belle. Judging from her smooth skin, she could be any age from twenty-five to fifty, but she’d been on TV for quite a while, so she had to be at least mid-forties.

Her uniformed limo driver helped her out of the long black car, which was covered with a fine film of dust. Opal, however, had not a hair out of place. She wore a pink flowered dress, enough gold jewelry to open a small boutique and pink stilettos. Oversize sunglasses covered her famous green eyes.

Bethany hurried over to greet her. “I can’t believe you’re here! Did you try to call? I might’ve missed the ring. I’ve been—”

“I didn’t call, honey. I knew you’d tell me not to come.” She took off her sunglasses and reached out to hug Bethany.

“Oh, you shouldn’t. I’m a mess!”

“Of course you are.” Opal embraced her protégée despite her protests. “You’ve been working hard.”

Nash’s opinion of the talk show host shot up considerably. She was treating Bethany as a friend, not some puppet she was manipulating for her own benefit. No wonder Bethany was so loyal to her.

Bethany accepted the hug and seemed moved by the gesture. “I wish you’d called, though.”

“You know me, girlfriend.” She winked. “I love me some drama.” She glanced around at the crowd that had gathered. “But can you afford all these people, honey? Even at minimum wage, you’re looking at a big bill.”

“They’re doing it for free.”

Opal’s carefully plucked eyebrows rose. “They
are?
How come?”

“Because that’s the kind of people they are.” She turned toward Sarah. “First of all, you need to meet Sarah Chance.”

Sarah stepped forward and extended her hand. “Ms. Knightly, it’s a pleasure. My sons and I own the Last Chance Ranch next door. We rounded up our family members and ranch hands to come over here today and see what we could accomplish.”

“Quite a bit, looks like.” Opal shook her hand. “I’m pleased to meet you, Sarah Chance. And let’s not be formal. Call me Opal.”

“We’re honored to have you visit us, Opal.”

“I was worried about my girl, here, but obviously I didn’t need to be. I see that neighbors help neighbors out West the same as we do down South. You must think a lot of Bethany.”

“We do.” Sarah looked over at Nash. “Especially after she decided to sell her ranch to one of our own.”

“Oh? And which one is that, Bethany?”

Bethany turned to Nash, her eyes bright. “I’m selling it to Nash Bledsoe. He’s from this area and he’s agreed to buy the Triple G.”

Nash saw the warmth in her gaze and heard it in her voice, but maybe he was the only one tuned in to that. He hoped so. He stepped forward and touched the brim of his hat. “Pleased to meet you, ma’am.”

Opal’s gaze was assessing, but she flashed her famous smile. “And I’m delighted to meet you. This should take the wind out of
Real News
’s sails, having a local boy snap up what will soon be a picture postcard of a ranch. I like it.”

“And this is Nash’s mother, Lucy Hutchinson,” Bethany said.

Nash blessed her for that. No doubt his mother was dying to meet her first-ever celebrity.

Lucy darted toward Opal and stuck out her hand. “Lucy Hutchinson. I’ve watched your show for years. And even though I wish Bethany and Nash could—”

“Hey, you know what?” Nash took his mother gently by the shoulder and drew her away from Opal and the train wreck she was headed for. “We’ve all been making our guest stand in the hot sun without offering her a bit of shade and something cool to drink.”

Opal’s knowing glance rested for a moment on Nash, and then her polished smile appeared again. “That sounds wonderful.” She looked over at her chauffeur. “I’m sure Emile would appreciate that, too.”

“Then please come inside with me,” Bethany said.

Nash kept a firm grip on his mother as Bethany ushered Opal and her chauffeur toward the porch steps. Before Bethany went inside, she threw him a grateful glance. He gave her what he hoped was an encouraging smile.

“I shouldn’t have said that, should I?” His mother turned to face him. “I’ll admit it. I was starstruck. And I wanted her to know that I understood that she was offering Bethany a wonderful opportunity, and so if that meant that you and Bethany couldn’t be together, well, that was life. But I shouldn’t have gone into it, at least not right now.”

“You shouldn’t go into it ever, Mom.” But he couldn’t be angry with her. She’d met one of her idols, and that could cause anyone to lose their mind temporarily and say stupid things. “Opal doesn’t need to know anything about what’s been between Bethany and me.”

His mother looked up at him. “You sound as if it’s over already. But Bethany’s still here.”

“Yes, but so is Opal. She came to protect Bethany from the
Real News
people, which is something we don’t have the power to do. We can fix up the place so they can’t get any shots of a run-down ranch, but they could still hound Bethany about her father. They won’t do that with Opal around. I’m glad she came.”

“Even if it means you can’t have any more private time with Bethany?”

“Yes.”

Lucy nodded. “Just as I thought.”

“What?”

“You’re as crazy in love with her as she is with you.”

Nash didn’t have anything to say to that. His mother was right about him, and he suspected she was right about Bethany. It didn’t matter. They’d both suck it up and deal.

* * *

A
S
B
ETHANY
HAD
KNOWN
it would, Opal’s arrival changed everything. Because Opal was determined to be there if the
Real News
crew showed up, Bethany checked with Nash and got the okay to offer Opal the king bed. Her chauffeur produced a small suitcase from the back of the limo and Opal changed into a slacks outfit and flats. It was as casual as Opal ever got, but it allowed her to roam around and talk to the work crew.

Bethany should have known she’d do that. She was the most social person Bethany had ever known, which was why being a talk show host was perfect for her. She soon had everyone eating out of her hand.

By the end of the day, the ranch had been transformed into the picture postcard Opal had predicted when she’d arrived. The outbuildings were painted Barn Red with white trim. The exterior of the ranch house had been stained gray, so that its trendy weathered look now appeared to be on purpose. The front steps no longer creaked, and even the plumbing had been tamed, at least a little bit.

After Lucy’s remark, Bethany expected Opal to ask about Nash, but she didn’t. Bethany took her cue from that and made sure she remained friendly but distant whenever she happened to be around Nash, which wasn’t often. She wondered if that was his plan.

Sarah hosted a huge dinner at the Last Chance that night, and although Bethany hoped for at least one moment alone with Nash, it never came. Sarah offered Opal’s chauffeur a room at the Last Chance, but all he would accept was a sleeping bag he could put on the sofa of Bethany’s living room at the Triple G.

That was when Bethany figured out Emile had been hired as Opal’s bodyguard and could probably do many things besides drive a limo. Now that she understood his role, she noticed that his cell phone was hardly ever out of his hand. For all she knew, he had reinforcements standing at the ready if Opal’s safety was ever in question.

Once Bethany had driven Opal and Emile back to the Triple G in her rented SUV, she wondered if Opal would grab an opportunity for a woman-to-woman chat, either in the kitchen or out on the front porch. But she claimed exhaustion from jet lag and went straight to bed.

The following morning,
Real News
showed up, but they’d sent a skeleton crew. They must have been tipped off that there really wasn’t much of a story, and besides, Opal was there. Nobody messed with Opal Knightly unless they wanted to tank their ratings. She was beloved.

Once the news van pulled out of the yard, Opal turned to Bethany. “Well, honey, I guess that’s it. Ready to come home to Atlanta with me?” Her green gaze was steady.

“Now?” Somehow Bethany hadn’t expected that, but she should have. Opal traveled by private jet, and it would be parked at the Jackson airport with the pilot waiting for departure instructions.

Opal shrugged. “Might as well. The disaster’s been averted, thanks to your friends.”

“And you.” She smiled at her benefactor. “The
Real News
reporters weren’t about to get nasty with you standing there. Thank you for coming.”

“You’re welcome. But I do have to get back, and so do you, for that matter. You don’t have to be here for the closing. That can all be handled with faxes and such. And my private jet is a lot more comfortable than any commercial flight. We can head over to the Last Chance in your little SUV and say goodbye to whoever’s around while Emile makes his tortuous way down that awful road. Then we can drive tandem to Jackson.”

She spoke with the implicit authority of someone who’d built a multimillion-dollar career with nothing more than guts and raw talent. She didn’t expect objections, and Bethany wasn’t about to give her any. “Sure, we can do that. I’ll pack.”

“And that’s the other advantage. I’m sure you have a few boxes of things you want to take, mementos and such. I don’t charge for extra luggage.” She flashed her Opal smile.

As Bethany rushed around for the next hour packing up, she decided that Opal was doing her a favor and might even know that. Hanging around another day or two would only prolong the agony of leaving. A woman who’d achieved Opal’s level of success would believe in ripping the bandage off quickly.

After loading everything into the SUV, Bethany locked the doors for the last time. She made sure Opal was buckled in and then drove away without looking back.

“That’s that,” Opal said. “Time to start a new story.”

“Right.” Bethany gripped the wheel, swallowed the lump in her throat and concentrated on getting down the road without jostling her famous passenger any more than necessary.

All the way over to the Last Chance, Opal chatted easily about Bethany’s planned segment—sprinkled with insider jokes about recent guests who’d appeared on the show—and whether or not the Atlanta Braves had a chance to win the pennant. Bethany made a few comments, but she was glad Opal didn’t expect her to be a brilliant conversationalist. Fortunately with Opal, that wasn’t necessary.

As they pulled into the circular gravel drive in front of the ranch house, Bethany glanced around, hoping for a glimpse of Nash. She didn’t see him. She and Opal climbed the steps and rang the doorbell.

Sarah answered the door with surprised delight and invited them in. “Did the
Real News
crew show up?”

“They did,” Opal said. “And they got next to nothing. Your help was invaluable. Thank you for that.”

“Yes,” Bethany added. “The place looks fabulous.”

“I’m glad it worked out.” Sarah gestured toward the living room. “Come on in. I’ll have Mary Lou bring us coffee.”

“I wish we could stay for coffee,” Opal said. “But we’re on the way to the airport.”

“Oh! Well, of course. I’m sure you’re a very busy lady. But you’re coming back after that, right, Bethany?”

“No, I’m afraid not. I’m leaving with Opal.”

Sarah’s smile faded. “I thought you might stay on a few more days. We’re just getting acquainted.”

“I know.” There was that lump in her throat again. “But this makes sense. I have plenty of things I need to do in Atlanta, and I can take my boxes of keepsakes in Opal’s plane instead of trusting them to the airlines.”

Sarah nodded. “I suppose you’re right. Are you sure you can’t stay for coffee, though? I’m the only one here right now, but I could call and see where some of the others are. I’m sure they’ll want to say goodbye if they can make it over.”

“I’m sorry as all get-out, but we have to be moving on,” Opal said. “It’s a long flight and I have to tape a show in the morning.”

“All right, then. It was wonderful to meet you.” She shook Opal’s hand. Then she turned to Bethany. “Any messages you want me to convey?”

“Do you...? Could I borrow a piece of paper?”

“Sure. Hang on a minute.” Sarah hurried into the office and returned quickly with a white notepad and a pen.

Heart racing, Bethany took it, aware of Opal waiting for her. But she had to leave Nash some small note, even if she had no idea what to say. Finally she scribbled out “Nash, I’ll never forget you. Bethany.”

She didn’t dare sign it
with love.
That would be cruel. She folded the note and handed it to Sarah. “Please give this to Nash, and...let everyone know how much I appreciate what they did. It was...” She couldn’t go on.

“I’ll tell them.” Sarah gave her a quick hug. “Safe travels, you two.”

Bethany had thought leaving the Triple G was tough, but driving away from the Last Chance felt as if she’d amputated a limb. She vaguely remembered driving to the airport. After that, Opal’s people took over.

As the sleek jet rose into the clear blue of a Wyoming summer day, she closed her eyes and fought to keep from breaking down. This would be the hardest part. Surely she couldn’t hurt this much forever.

* * *

N
ASH
MOVED
INTO
THE
house at the Triple G, but he couldn’t make himself sleep in the king bed. Instead he slept in Bethany’s little twin because it smelled the most like her and had more memories attached to it. The bed didn’t fit him very well, but that didn’t matter because he wasn’t sleeping much, anyway.