This Kiss (Made In Montana Book 12) (18 page)

“He’s the number-two-rated professional bull rider in the world. In fact, I saw a poster out there inviting people to watch the National Finals Rodeo on your HD TVs starting this weekend.”

That got his attention. But it wasn’t enough.

“Hey, if you can’t help us, I understand,” Ethan said, shrugging. “Just like you understand why we have to call the police. And since we don’t have access to your poker room, I’m pretty sure they’ll have no problem meeting us in front of the sports book. That is where people place bets, right?”

Picking up a pen and toying with it, Pfizer frowned.

Sophie could almost hear the wheels turning in his head. “We’ll try not to make too big a fuss,” she said with a smile.

“By the way,” Ethan added, “I saw the odds you have posted out there. I’m the five-to-two favorite. Just out of curiosity, what happens if I get hung up and miss the finals?” His jaw tightened for a split second, and Sophie’s heart slid right down to her toes. After that he didn’t so much as blink. “Do you guys have to return the money people have already bet?”

And there it was. The look of a man defeated.

“If we could all step outside my office, I’ll be with you in a few moments.”

They did, and Mr. Pfizer in his neat suit and tie walked hastily toward the poker rooms in the back.

Mandy pulled out her phone and moved a few feet away to give them privacy while she called Lola.

Sophie turned to him. “Why did you say that?”

“Hey, it worked.” He looked tired, but he smiled. “Don’t tell me you’re superstitious.”

She didn’t buy his act of indifference. He’d been worried about the finals all along. His concern hadn’t suddenly disappeared. “No, just a bad-luck charm.”

“Come on.” He put an arm around her. “Knock it off. What were the chances you’d find Floyd as quickly as you did? That he was still here by the time we showed up? This was a best-case scenario.”

No, it wasn’t. She and Mandy here taking care of business while Ethan was already in Vegas was a best-case scenario. But she wouldn’t argue. He looked so exhausted. Tonight he had to sleep. Tomorrow, if he was still tired, she’d talk him into catching a flight while she took care of his truck.

She dug up a smile from somewhere. “Thank you. Without you here, I don’t know— You’ve been—” She inhaled deeply, hoping it would help keep her eyes dry.

“I would never have deserted you,” he said, and squeezed her hand. “I told you I’d help any way I could.”

Even if it had cost him the finals? Oh God. She would’ve just died. But in truth, he wasn’t there yet. If she wanted to be a good person, a friend, she’d let him check in to the hotel alone. Sleep as much as he could without her distracting him.

She nodded. “I think it’s okay for you to go right after they bring that moron out. If you don’t want to stay here, I’m sure you’ll find a room in another hotel.”

Ethan frowned. “Don’t you mean it’s okay for
us
to go?”

Mandy, who’d approached and was now on the phone with the Reno cops, turned around again.

“You need sleep,” Sophie said. “What you don’t need is any more distractions.”

“I’m a grown man. I’m pretty sure I know what I do and don’t need.”

“I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just— You know I can’t go with you now. I have to go back to Wyoming. Once Floyd’s arrested, we won’t automatically get back what he’s stolen. I can’t leave everything to Lola.” Most of that was true, but she had trouble meeting his eyes.

“Yo,” Mandy said.

Walking toward them, right behind the casino manager, Floyd was staring daggers at her. But the two beefy security guards weren’t about to let him make a move.

Pfizer stopped in front of Ethan. Behind him, on the monitor on the wall, Sophie saw a man in a cowboy hat being interviewed. The closed caption said the broadcast was coming from Las Vegas. Her stomach turned over. She literally felt sick. Ethan had claimed he didn’t need to be there yet.

“If you’ll join us at the security office when you’re ready,” Pfizer said.

Mandy waited until the guards and Floyd had passed. “The cops will be here in about five minutes. I’ll give them what we’ve got, and then we can head back.”

Sophie nodded. “I’ll be right there. Ethan has to get his butt to Vegas.”

Mandy held out her hand, and Ethan took it. “Good luck. I bet a hundred bucks on you. So get some damn sleep, would you?”

“I’ll try,” he said, unsmiling.

Mandy shrugged, met Sophie’s eyes, then started walking.

“You promised you’d come with me,” he said.

“I did, but that was before all this crap happened.” She swallowed hard. “I didn’t know Floyd was going to rip us off, or that we’d actually find him. But Jesus, Ethan. You told me you didn’t have to be in Vegas yet.” She motioned to the monitor. “You should be up there being interviewed. Not here mixed up in my mess.” She forced a smile. “Look, we had fun, right? But we knew it would end. Like you said, you know what you need to do, and I need to go home. It’s as simple as that.”

He stared at her as if she’d just ripped his heart out of his chest. “If it’s that simple to you, then yeah, I sure did misunderstand.”

Despite the pain that squeezed the life out of her, she nodded. He wasn’t thinking clearly. She had to be strong for both of them. “I hope you win the title.” She stepped back.

“That’s it?” He looked stricken.

“I’ll call,” she said, wondering if she dared. Wanting so much to tell him all the things she couldn’t say on the purple carpet of this damn casino. Like how he’d rocked her world. How she used to think she had it bad for him, but now? She’d never recover.

But he didn’t need her as baggage or a distraction. He’d never forgive her if he missed the finals, and she’d never forgive herself, either.

Ethan stared, looking confused and angry. But then he turned and walked past the security office, past the police who were headed in to arrest Floyd.

And he just kept walking.

18

S
OPHIE
SAT
IN
front of her small TV and shoved another piece of chocolate into her mouth. She wasn’t crazy about television. She didn’t even have cable or satellite, but she’d watched most of the National Finals Rodeo. Well, she’d kept track of the bull riders, anyway. And now she was watching reruns of Ethan.

Sometimes it had been nearly impossible to watch. Two riders had suffered serious injuries. If Ethan had gotten hurt, she had no idea what she would’ve done. Except blame herself for having distracted him at the most important time of his entire career.

But she didn’t have to worry about that. Ethan had won his second championship title. Last night had been the buckle ceremony.

She’d thought seriously about calling, just to congratulate him. But she couldn’t bring herself to pick up her cell. She’d handled the goodbye at the casino so badly. It still stung.

She should’ve at least offered to drive his truck back to Wyoming. Drop him at the airport first. Sophie had replayed her words and the expression on his face a thousand times in the past two weeks. She’d sounded so cold. How he must hate her.

Seeing the cowboy being interviewed on the monitor had done something to her. Panic had taken over. And she knew if she’d given herself an inch, she would’ve done the thing she wanted to do instead of doing what was honorable. Intellectually she realized it wasn’t completely her fault that he’d driven her to Reno when he should’ve gone to Las Vegas. She’d begged him to take her to a car rental office. But he’d insisted. And she hadn’t fought him hard enough because she’d been thrilled he’d stayed with her.

Someone knocked at the apartment door. She grabbed something to throw at it. Then stared at the bag in her hand. What the hell was she thinking? Not the chocolate. That would make everything worse.

Another knock. It was either Lola or Mandy, most likely Lola. Mandy knew how to buy a clue.

“Go away,” Sophie yelled loud enough to be heard by half the residents in the apartment complex.

“Not gonna happen.”

“Goddammit, Lola,” Sophie muttered, and got off the couch.

She opened the door and growled at her cousin.

Lola walked right in, uninvited, as usual. She surveyed Sophie’s mess after three days of hibernation. Every glass she owned was sitting out somewhere.

Finally Lola eyed Sophie’s baggy gray sweats and the sock with a hole over the big toe. “You look like shit.”

“Should’ve saved yourself the trip. I could’ve told you that on the phone.” Sophie plopped back down on the couch. Wincing, she lifted her butt and moved the bag of chocolate out of the way. “What do you want?”

“Get up and take a shower, then put on something nice. We’re going out.”

Sophie snorted a laugh. “Are you high?”

“Come on, Soph.” Lola’s gaze shifted briefly to the TV. “You can’t keep moping.”

“Yes, I can. Except I’m not moping.”

Lola sighed. “Please get up and get ready. Mandy is meeting us at the—”

“Nice try. Mandy knows better. Yet she’s only known me for a fraction of the time you have. Explain that.” Sophie stretched her neck back. She’d stayed away from the gym too long. Tomorrow she’d get herself moving.

“The Reno police called. They found the brooch at a pawnshop.”

Sophie shook her head. Anyone could tell the piece was an antique and too valuable to sell to a pawnbroker. Anyone but Floyd. “How much did he get for it? Did they tell you?”

“No. I didn’t ask. I want this whole thing over with and I never want to hear his name again.”

Sophie gave her a sympathetic nod. “I’m glad they recovered the brooch.”

“You know what pisses me off, Sophie?”

“I’m coming in to work tomorrow. I’ll be my old cheery self. Promise.”

“That’s not what I’m upset about.” She sat at the edge of the couch. “Ethan is a really good man, and you’re tossing him away. Do you have any idea what I’d do to find someone like him? What most single women would do? You’ve never been a quitter. I’ve always admired that about you.”

Sophie had to look away. She wasn’t good at hiding her emotions lately. “Not now. Okay, Lola?”

Her cousin sighed. “Please get dressed and come out. Would you do that for me?”

“I can’t. I’m sorry.”

Shrugging, Lola stood. “You can’t say I didn’t try.”

Sophie watched sideways until Lola opened the door. She would’ve felt worse if she thought her cousin really wanted a drinking buddy tonight. Lola was only trying to cheer her up.

Sophie turned her head. Lola had left. Why hadn’t she closed the damn door?

Muttering a curse, she pushed to her feet.

Ethan appeared in the doorway. He looked at Sophie, glanced around the apartment and then looked at her again and laughed.

Her mouth wouldn’t work. When it finally did, she said, “I’m going to kill her.”

“Ah, right. She asked me to remind you that she tried.”

“I’m still going to kill her. Stay right there.” She skirted the coffee table, thought about taking some glasses and empty bags with her, but what was the point? “Right there,” she repeated before disappearing into her bathroom.

She washed her face, brushed her hair and teeth in record time, then splurged with some mascara and scented body cream. She exchanged the sweatpants for jeans. Thank God she’d taken a shower earlier.

When she returned to the living room, plastic trash bag in hand, the door was closed and Ethan was sitting on the couch, staring at the TV. He hadn’t pushed her crap to the side. He’d just made himself comfortable.

He looked up at her and smiled.

She pointed at the door. “I told you to stay there.”

“You really have to quit being so damn bossy.”

“I doubt that’s going to stop,” she said, sighing, and picked up empty cookie packages, dropping them into the trash bag. She hated feeling this awkward with him.

“I know,” he said, his quiet tone making her look up. He nodded at the TV. “You’ve been watching the finals.”

“Oh.” She cleared her throat. “Congratulations, by the way.” Should she give him a quick kiss or maybe a hug? A kiss wouldn’t be out of line. She leaned over and he pulled her onto his lap.

Sophie let out a startled gasp.

“Is this okay?” he asked, uncertainty in his blue eyes.

“Uh-huh.”

“I want to explain why I didn’t call.”

“You don’t have to. I never expected you to—”

“Can you please just be quiet for a few minutes?”

She pressed her lips together and jerked a nod.

Ethan gave a short laugh. “At first I was really mad. And then I started thinking about the moment everything had gone sideways with us at the casino. I figured out you weren’t trying to get rid of me but get me to Vegas. That was just before the first round.

“I was going to call then. Hash things out. But I knew the moment I heard your voice I’d lose my focus. And I couldn’t afford to do that. I owed it to both of us to be on my game.”

Sophie blinked.
Us?
A quiver started in her tummy. Like the feeling she’d gotten when she saw him wearing a helmet that first round. He’d worn it until the very end. She’d told herself he was doing it for her and then realized that was the fifteen-year-old inside her who still believed in fairy tales.

“Sophie...” He was watching her, waiting for her to look into his eyes. “Honey, I know you were trying to help get me to finals because you knew how important it was to me. But something had happened that shifted my priorities.”

“Okay,” she said. “What?”

“You.”

“Me? How?”

“By believing in me. When you said my fans would believe me over Wendy, you were probably right. They’d rally around me. But they don’t really know me. They just wouldn’t want to believe their rodeo idol could be a thief. But you believed in
me
.”

“Well, of course...”

“Look, you’re a beautiful, capable woman who’s built a business and a nice life. And I suspect you got here mainly by yourself. But you don’t have to go a hundred miles an hour all the time. You don’t have anything to prove. Now, how about believing in yourself, Sophie?”

Her mouth was so dry. Eleven years ago she’d been cowed and humiliated, and she’d been running so fast, so hard ever since to never be in a situation like that again. To be in control at all times. But she hadn’t always succeeded. “May I speak now?”

“Go ahead.”

“First of all, I’m obviously not all that capable, because I wasn’t the one who helped you. It was Mandy. I couldn’t even—”

“All right. Stop.” He shook his head.

“What? Shouldn’t I be able to have my say?”

“You can’t expect me to sit here and listen to this crap. Remember, you’re talking about someone I love.”

The air left her lungs. “You can’t love me.”

Ethan’s eyes blazed. He clearly did not like that response.

“I’m not saying I’m not lovable. I just meant, you don’t really know me. You can’t. Not after only four days.”

He said nothing, just looked at her with a hint of sadness. “Sophie, I know all the things that matter about you. I promise you that. Even if it takes a year, two years, whatever it takes to prove it to you, I’m going to do that. I can be stubborn myself.”

She held back a sob and dashed a tear away with impatience. “You’re right.”

“I am?” He smiled, looking so boyishly delighted, she laughed.

“I think you do know me. Maybe better than I do.” She wasn’t ready to explain that she had been trying to prove something she hadn’t realized until now. She’d needed to feel she deserved the small kindness he’d shown her. Her teenage years had been so damn lonely.

He put his arms around her and pulled her back against him.

That alone made her want to cry as she curled up in his lap. She’d missed his arms so much.

“I owe you a congratulatory kiss.” She turned her face, and their lips touched. He kissed her softly, eyes open. She kissed him back and heard the bag of candy scrunch. Now, how could she not love a man who’d seen her mess of an apartment, the mess of her life, and hadn’t run in the other direction?

“Dammit, Ethan,” she murmured against his lips.

“What?”

“I love you, too.”

His smile could’ve lit the room. “With the finals money, I’m going ahead with the construction of the rodeo camp. And there’s plenty of space for you to set up your martial arts studio. If you want to.”

She kissed him again, so hard they both nearly fell off the couch. And when she finally caught her breath, she said, “I know the important parts about you, too, Ethan Styles. But it’ll be fun to explore the rest.”

“I’d like to do a little exploring myself.” He stood with her still in his arms. “I’m guessing you have a bedroom somewhere in here.”

Sophie grinned. She might not be the best bounty hunter in the world, but she’d set out to get her man and ended up with the man of her dreams. “You can have me anywhere, cowboy.”

* * * * *

Keep reading for an excerpt from
INSATIABLE
by Leslie Kelly