Diamond in the Rough (Diamond J #2) (18 page)

“Thank you, Aidan.”

“Yes,” Gina echoed. “Thank you, Aidan.”

Toby tugged on Gina's hand. “Can I go play in the straw maze again, Mom?”

She released the boy’s hand and waved him on. “Yes, just remember to take turns and be polite.”

As Toby ran ahead, Gina adjusted her path ever so slightly, so she was walking right next to Aidan. Their arms brushed against each other with every stride. She glanced up at him. “You made his day, you know.”

“I hope so. I remember how excited I was about stuff like that as a kid.”

“Did you grow up on a ranch?”

“No, but I was around calves sometimes because of my father’s work.” His voice held a hard edge.

She raised her eyebrows, encouraging him to continue. “Tell me.”

His mouth went dry. “My mom died right after I graduated high school. My dad was busy building his own business. When I made it clear I didn't want to be a part of that business, he had no time for me.”

She frowned. “Then you understand how important it is to spend time on you, to take time for your own family, not to get so focused on work.”

He warmed to the subject. “That’s just it. This place isn’t work. It’s home. The people here are my family.”

She cocked her head. “But what about your father? He’s still alive?”

“My father is nothing like Beau and Charlotte and the others here. He was — is — a cold, cold person who cares about nothing more than making a buck.” His voice cut through the spring air like a blade.

She reached out and touched his forearm. The muscles were corded and tight, tense and she massaged gently, as if trying to relax him. “You’re not cold.”

He sighed, then took her hand in his. “I hope not. I don’t want to be anything like him. That’s why I left as soon as I could.”

She trailed her fingers down his arm, letting them rest on the back of his hand. “So you’ve been on your own since then?”

“Yes,” he murmured. “I couldn’t stay with my father. Couldn’t stomach how he earned his money. Hated the thought of what he did, and didn’t want any part of that.”

She pulled back and frowned, suddenly wary. “Is he a criminal or something?”

He barked a laugh, a harsh, humorless sound. “Not exactly. He owns a huge meat processing company. And he's never been caught doing anything illegal.” He emphasized the word caught with a shake of his head.

The furrows in her forehead deepened. “But that’s what you do here at the Diamond J, right? It’s all farming and ranching, right?”

“No.” He turned toward her and gripped her forearms. “We raise and train cutting horses. We raise cattle. Yes, we raise livestock, but it is nothing like big corporate farms or the giant meat processing plants. The animals here are treated with respect and care.”

His grip was strong. She blinked rapidly and her mouth hung open in astonishment. “But that doesn’t happen at your father’s business?”

He snorted derisively again. “It is a factory, where living creatures are mercilessly processed in the cheapest, fastest way possible.”

She wiggled under his grip and he quickly released her. “I’m sorry,” he murmured, then he turned away and rubbed his face roughly with his hands.

She reached out and rubbed his back gently as he took deep breaths in and out.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “That sounds horrible.”

“It is,” he mumbled through his hands. “You have no idea how horrible.”

She’d seen undercover videos taken by animal rights activists. Those images were horrible and disgusting. They had been enough to make her consider going vegan.

But surely his family wasn't involved in something as horrible as that. “You are nothing like your father.” She continued to rub his back, running her hand in lazy circles over his broad shoulders.

He took a deep breath and said, “My family owns Brackston Meat Processing.”

Her eyes widened in recognition “You mean THE Brackston Meats? Like the beef and pork we buy at the grocery store? The family that owns the football team? The family rumored to have organized crime ties?” She clamped a hand over her mouth. Good grief. That family was larger than life. Always in the news.

He nodded and ducked his head. When he left home, he hoped to never hear that name again, but it seemed impossible to escape. The name held nothing but memories of pain and horror for him.

She blinked at him. “That’s a huge business. I've heard a lot about it.” She looked a bit green around the gills.

He snorted as he thought of the sprawling metal buildings, the crowded feed lots where animals stood in filth and mud while awaiting their final trip to the kill floor. The stench hung in the air, covering the animals like a blanket.

It was nothing like the warm smell of the Diamond J, hay and cattle and horses and grain, all mixed together. Here, the animals were treated with dignity and respect.

But he didn’t want to think of the past today. For the first time in his life, he was ready to stop running from his past. Instead, he had a clear vision of what he wanted his future to look like. He glanced down at Gina, smiled and took her elbow. “Enough of that. None of that matters. What matters is me, you, your little boy, and this party.”

They reached the crowd and he motioned toward the deck, suggesting they get a drink. Bottles of beer and pop prickled like a porcupine out of a shiny galvanized metal water trough filled with ice. Aidan pulled two beers out and twisted the tops off, then offered her one. She hesitated a moment, but accepted it and took a long drink.

She closed her eyes for a moment and sighed, a look of complete satisfaction on her face. He stared at her openly. She was beautiful, there were no two ways about it. Being here, with her and her son, he could actually imagine being a member of a family, a real family.

Beau, standing by the barbecue grill, caught his eye, looked pointedly at Gina, then gave him a thumbs up. The corner of Aidan’s mouth quirked up.

Folks stopped and talked to them, and several women from the community caught Gina and asked about the scrapbook store, upcoming events, and all sorts of gadgets that meant nothing to him. She lit up when she talked about her craft, talking with her hands as much as her words. He found himself smiling, even though he didn’t understand all that was being said.

As she spoke, he watched her full lips move. Every now and then she caught him watching and smiled at him, her blue-green eyes dancing with delight. When she turned, her hair caught, falling over her shoulders. He followed the waves that led to her generous breasts. The material clung to her, showing every curve. He couldn’t wait to cup them in his hands, feel their weight, tease her nipples with his tongue.

It was torture to be so close to her, surrounded by all these people. His erection grew, pressing against his jeans. God, he was ready to explode just thinking of her.

All that mattered was being with her, and he intended to do it right. He wanted to court her, wine and dine her, show her he was more than a simple cowhand. He wanted to be with her.

In every way that mattered.

CHAPTER THIRTY

Toby

Toby crawled through the straw maze as fast as he could, but bumped into dead ends more often than not. The prickly straw scraped at his sides when he turned corners, and he kept his head low so it wouldn’t get in his hair. He didn’t like that creepy feeling, as if fingers were reaching for him.

Once he slowed down and thought about where he was going and where he had been, he made it all the way through the maze. When he exited, a young girl met him with a big grin and lots of clapping. She held out a plastic bucket full of prizes and told him to pick one. After he pawed through the goodies, he selected a big bouncy ball, which he tucked carefully in his jeans’ pocket.

The second time he went through the maze, he went slower. At each turn, he considered his options and chose which way to go instead of just plowing ahead. Other kids pushed past him, but he let them go and concentrated on his path. And it worked! The opening appeared before him and he scooted out, very proud of himself. He stood up and swiped the dust from his jeans.

The girl held out the bucket for him again. “Didn’t I see you already?”

He grinned, “Yup.”

“Then, I think you deserve another prize.”

He peered into the bucket and spotted a model horse, with real hair for its mane and tail. He pointed at it. “Can I have that horse?”

She nodded and he snatched the toy from the bucket. He jogged over to the straw bales they'd sat on earlier and pretended to run the horse across the top of them. He made the horse fly off the bale, pretending it was jumping off a mountain and across a meadow full of very tall grass. The horse leapt over a stick and then another. After a while, Toby grew tired of playing with the toy horse and his thoughts turned to the calf.

He looked around for his mom and Aidan, and saw them next to the barbecue grill. He hurried over to them to show them his bouncy ball and his horse. After he showed off his prizes, he said, “Can we go see the baby cow again?”

Aidan shook his head and said, “No, she’s probably taking a nap right now. But why don’t you and your mom come back tomorrow night and you can help me feed her again? I’ll make dinner for us.”

Toby’s eyes widened and he spun around to face his mother. “Mom! Did you hear that? Can we? Can we, please?”

His mother glanced at Aidan, who looked at her with raised eyebrows. After a moment, she nodded. “Yes, I think I’d like to come back tomorrow night.” She smiled really big.

Aidan offered, “Why don’t you two come by tomorrow about 6 or so and I’ll grill something after we feed the calf?”

Toby nodded. “What’s her name?”

Aidan tapped his stubbly chin with one finger. “I haven’t named her yet. Would you like to help me come up with a name for her?”

Toby let out a whoop and spun around, too excited to stand still. He took off, racing his toy horse along beside him, leaving the adults behind.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

A Real Date

Gina was as excited as Toby as they got ready the next day. She’d had such a good time at the Diamond J barbecue. For the first time all week, she put aside her fears and worries about the scrapbook store and money and Steve and let herself enjoy the day. And why shouldn’t she? Steve was probably off doing God knows what, without giving her or Toby a thought.

She caught herself.

That wasn’t fair.

Steve was a good dad. He never forgot Toby’s birthday, made a big deal out of holidays that were important to the boy, and had even gone to the parent-teacher conference with Toby’s teacher. He loved their son.

As if on cue, Toby ran into the room, his little cowboy boots thumping on the hardwood floors. He slid to a stop and propped one foot out, toe pointing up. He bent over and wiped off an imaginary speck if dirt, then looked up at her. “These boots Daddy gave me really came in handy yesterday.”

Gina nodded sagely. “Yes, they did. And he even got them in the right size.” She had heard so many women at the scrapbook store complaining about the fact that their husbands had no clue what size clothes their kids wore.

Toby perched his hands on his hips. “They’ll come in handy tonight, too. I been thinking about that baby cow. She needs a name.”

Gina turned back to the mirror and leaned close, swiveling her face from side to side. Her skin was losing the glow of youth. Tiny crow’s feet accented her blue-green eyes, but they were framed with a thick fringe of dark lashes. She pushed her hair back from her forehead.

Was her hairline receding? She leaned closer. No, surely not. She raked her fingers through her thick hair then shook it. It fell in loose waves around her shoulders. She frowned, afraid that might look like she was trying too hard. After a moment’s hesitation, she grabbed an elastic band from the basket beside the sink, then brushed it back into a low ponytail.

She started to leave the bathroom, then spun back around and rummaged through the drawer that held her meager supply of makeup. She opened a tube of gloss and ran it across her lips, then smacked them together.

That was better.

She found Toby waiting anxiously by the back door. Both hands were perched on his hips and a deep frown furrowed his forehead. “We’re going to be late, Mom.”

It still caught her off guard when he called her Mom. Not Mommy, Mom. She swallowed the lump in her throat and hooked her purse over her shoulder. “No, we’ll be right on time.”

Her cell phone buzzed. She fished it out of her handbag and looked at the display. An 816 number. She didn't recognize it. She swiped the screen and put the phone to her ear. "Hello?"

"Is this Gina Montgomery?" It was a woman's voice.

"Speaking." A frown settled on her forehead and she felt instantly worried.

"I'm calling from Signet Enterprises. Do have a moment to talk?"

"I'm getting ready to go out." She didn't have time for some silly survey by a party store company.

"I'll keep this brief, then. Beth Jameson forwarded me an invitation she made for her, which led me to your blog."

Gina froze in her tracks. "Okay." Her heart pounded in her chest.

"We're very impressed with your party-planning ideas, and we'd like to offer you a consulting job with our creative department."

"What?" Gina reached out for the car and sagged against it. "I can't move--"

The voice cut her off. "Oh, no. This isn't a full-time position. It's part-time, remote. We think your retail location is a plus. We'd like to partner with you, but we don't want to take you out of your creative space."

"I don't know what to say."

The woman on the other end of the line laughed. "You don't have to say anything now. We can discuss details later, if you're interested."

Gina's mouth opened and closed. She thought of the rent she had to come up with. "I hate to ask, but how much money are we talking?"

After she got her answer, Gina sank to the ground. They talked a little more about hours and a general overview of the position, then the woman promised to send a complete package detailing the offer.

After she hung up, she sat in the driveway with her legs curled under her. Gradually, she became aware of the gravel cutting into her flesh. It was real. She wasn't dreaming.

Toby stood in front of her with his fists perched on his hips. "Are we gonna go or what?"

Gina pushed to her feet as Toby tugged the rear car door open. He climbed onto his booster seat and tried to buckle himself in. She reached in and helped, then slid into the driver’s seat, and they were off. The car started first try, which she took as a good sign. Her spirits were buoyed by the offer she'd just received.

Her store was saved!

She debated calling Midge, but decided to wait until she'd received the offer in writing. Plus, she wanted to do it in person. News this big deserved a celebration!

They turned into the driveway to the Diamond J, and Toby let out a jubilant whoop. As soon as they reached the parking area, Aidan stepped out of the barn and waited for them to park.

He was dressed in dark blue jeans molded to his legs. The sleeves of his red plaid shirt were rolled up, exposing muscled arms covered in a dusting of dark hair. His black hat shadowed his face, but she felt those electric blue eyes focused on her. Her body warmed under his gaze, responding to the animal magnetism that drew her to him.

Gina closed her eyes, took a steadying breath and a shiver ran down her spine. When she opened her eyes and glanced around, she realized that nearly all the vehicles there were black and shiny and new. Her battered blue Toyota stuck out like a sore thumb, just as Aidan's rusty white pickup did. With a grin, she realized that the offer from Signet might give her the opportunity to buy a new car.

As soon as Toby was released from his booster seat, he slid out of the car and ran toward the barn. He glanced back and yelled, “Come on, Mom!”

Gina slammed the car door and followed her son. Aidan took a step forward, into the sunlight. She smiled and felt her heart give a little flip-flop at the sight of him. She had nearly convinced herself that this wasn’t a date, that this was just a nice guy being nice to her little boy. But with every step toward him, she hoped it was more than that.

She caught her lower lip with her teeth. “Hello!” she called out.

Aidan’s lips split into a grin. “Howdy!”

By the time she reached him, Toby had grabbed Aidan’s hand. Her son didn’t know a stranger, but he wasn’t usually this friendly. Aidan looked down and said in a very serious voice, “Toby, would you rather go eat first, or feed the calf first?”

The boy didn’t hesitate. “Feed the baby!”

Aidan met Gina’s gaze over the boy’s head. “That okay with you?” he asked. His eyes danced with . . . What? Excitement? Desire?

She nodded and followed as Aidan led Toby into the barn. He told Gina and Toby to go on ahead into the stall while he got the bottle ready. For the next fifteen minutes or so, it was all about the calf. Toby took his job very seriously, and Gina and Aidan leaned back against the smooth wooden wall.

Gina caught Aidan looking at her a few times. Each time she looked up, he unabashedly met her gaze. His eyes reminded her of a spring sky with lightning dancing across it. Barely contained. There was an undercurrent of danger there, but she was intrigued by the energy it promised.

When the calf sucked the last drop of milk from the bottle, Toby’s shoulders drooped. He handed the bottle back to Aidan and sighed. “I guess she’s done.”

Aidan accepted the bottle. “Why don’t we go roast some hot dogs, and then maybe we’ll come back later and say goodnight to her?”

Toby nodded, but made no move to leave until Gina took his hand and said, “Her tummy is full and she’ll probably want to take a nap.”

The three of them left the barn and Aidan led the way around to the back of the big house. It was an amazing home, a huge log cabin with a wraparound porch. Gina counted three chimneys growing out of the high peaked roof.

The backside of the house was just as impressive. They rounded the corner and a huge flagstone patio curved along the back of the home, flanked by low benches and huge potted plants. The centerpiece was a stone fire pit ringed with Adirondack chairs.

Gina sat in one of the chairs while Toby ran around the patio, checking out every nook and cranny. Aidan had already started a fire, which now burned low, perfect for hot dogs. The sun hung low in the Western sky, rays of sunlight poking through the thick dark clouds. The warmth of the fire was welcome in the cool evening air. It smelled like rain.

Gina was impressed with how well prepared he was. She hadn’t noticed the outdoor kitchen at first. A built in grill took up the majority of the space, with a sink set into the stone countertop next to it. He pulled out a package of hot dogs out of the small refrigerator and pushed two of them on a long metal fork.

He motioned to Toby. “Want to help me roast hot dogs for you and your mom?”

Toby hurried over to him, then rubbed his hands anxiously on his thighs. “How—?”

Aidan held the fork out and showed Toby how to make a fist around the handle, then he wrapped his own hand over the boy’s chubby fist. Together, they held the hot dogs close to the glowing red coals. Aidan glanced up at Gina. “Help yourself to a hot dog. There’s another fork over there.” He nodded toward the built in grill.

As Gina roasted her own hot dog she watched Aidan work with her son. Men usually did one of two things. They either pretended her son didn’t exist and ignored him completely, or they spoiled him in a blatant attempt to impress her. Her eyes narrowed as she watched Aidan curl his arms around Toby as they roasted the hot dogs.

Aidan looked up at her and his grin faded. “What’s the matter?”

She waved the question off, then turned away to get her hot dog. She returned to the fire pit and squatted on her heels, holding the hot dog close to the red hot coals. She could feel Aidan’s eyes on her.

He ducked his head to catch her eye and raised his eyebrows. “Is something wrong? Did I do something?”

She sucked in a deep breath and blew it out. “No. You didn’t do anything wrong.” Yet. Things were going so well, she just knew the other shoe was going to drop.

Toby jerked his hand back and yelled, “Fire!”

Aidan pushed the boy back with one hand as he pulled the stick holding the flaming hot dog out of the fire, then puffed his cheeks out and blew. Only one hot dog had caught fire, but both were well done.

One corner of Aidan’s mouth twitched up and he looked at Toby. “How ‘bout you grab me a couple of buns off the table?” He glanced over the fire pit at Gina. “Are you laughing at me?”

“Maybe.” She hadn’t even realized she’d been smiling. She shrugged. “Hope you like your hot dogs crispy.”

Toby returned with a bag of hot dog buns. Aidan showed him how to use the bun to pull the hot dog off the fork.

Toby looked doubtful, then looked at Gina. His eyebrows arched over his big blue eyes. His lower lip pooched out just a bit. “I don’t like plain food.”

Aidan pushed to his feet and strode over to the little refrigerator. He returned with a bottle of ketchup and the boy brightened. Aidan said, “I don’t like plain food either. Everything needs ketchup.”

Toby giggled. “Not everything!”

Gina waited until her own hot dog was crispy and bubbly then joined Aidan and her son in the chairs. The crickets chirped happily, and a bullfrog sang his deep song in the distance. Gina felt herself relax as Aidan and Toby wolfed down their food and roasted two more hot dogs.

She rested her head against the chair back and looked up at the velvet black sky. Stars twinkled like diamonds between the clouds, and she began to recognize constellations. A sliver of the moon was visible just above the oak trees along the back fence line.

Tension slid from her body. Her money troubles were over, and she'd met a cowboy that seemed nearly perfect. Toby was too excited to sit. Instead, he stood next to her, leaning against her leg.

Aidan pushed up out of the chair and went to the outdoor kitchen. He returned with a package of graham crackers, a bag of big puffy marshmallows and a handful of chocolate bars. Gina smiled and tilted her head to the side as she looked up at him in the orange glow of the fire. He had thought of everything. Maybe this wasn’t an act.

By the time they finished their s’mores, all three of them had sticky fingers and chocolate smiles. Gina couldn’t remember the last time she’d enjoyed a treat like that. Toby stood with his hands out, fingers spread wide.

“We can go inside and wash up.” Aidan stood and looked down at her. He held out his own hand, fingers splayed, palm out. “I’d offer you a hand, but I’m kinda sticky myself.”

Gina pushed herself out of the chair, using the heel of her hands to avoid spreading the marshmallow stickiness any further.

Together, the three of them walked across the flagstone pavers and through the back door of the house. Gina’s eyes widened when Aidan flipped on the kitchen light. It was a bright, airy kitchen decorated in buttery yellow and white. A huge wooden farm table anchored the room, topped by a crock filled with sunflowers.