Brynn could not remember when she’d spent a more enjoyable time with a large group of people than she had with the Abernathys. Even Corinne seemed to have come out of her funk. She’d laughed with abandon as she and Remi intently engaged in conversation with Crosby.
“No thank you,” Brynn said to the server as he attempted to refill her half-full wineglass.
“You didn’t drink much,” Garrett whispered in her ear.
She gave him a sidelong glance. “I’d probably finish the glass if I wasn’t driving.”
He angled his head, giving her a direct stare when she turned to look at him. “Can’t one of your sisters drive your vehicle back home?”
“No, because my sisters and I don’t live together.”
“Oh? Where do you live?”
“Bronco Heights. I’m subletting an apartment month-to-month at BH247, and my sisters are renting a house in Bronco Valley. I haven’t actually lived with my sisters in over five years. When we first moved to Bronco, I did stay with them in the rental for a while until my application with BH247 was approved. Competing together is altogether different from living together. More than a couple of women living under one roof is not conducive for inseparability.”
“It shouldn’t be any different from five men living under one roof,” Garrett countered.
“I doubt if you and your brothers got into squabbles over clothes. Besides, I’m also the oldest and my sisters prefer not to live with me because they claim I’m too bossy.”
Garrett leaned closer. “Are you?”
She averted her eyes at the same time she stilled when Garrett tucked a curl that had escape the bun behind her ear. “No. Just outspoken.”
He dropped his hand and laughed. “And that translates into you being bossy.”
“It’s more like being maternal,” Brynn said in defense of her dominance in the birth order.
“I’m also the eldest and I’m definitely not paternal when it comes to my brothers.”
“So, you don’t order them around?”
“Not as adults.”
“How’s your steak?” Tyler asked her.
Brynn shifted her attention from Garrett to Tyler, sitting to her right, and met his blue eyes. The resemblance between the Abernathy brothers was obvious; it was hard to determine which one was more handsome.
“It’s delicious.” And it was. The aged rib eye, topped with garlic and horseradish butter, was tender and flavorful. “I can see why there’s a wait list for reservations.”
“You must eat in a lot of upscale restaurants when you’re on the rodeo circuit.”
“Some upscale and many not,” she told Tyler.
“Which do you prefer?”
Brynn wondered if Tyler was feeling her out to assess whether there was the possibility of something happening between her and Garrett. And if that were the case, then she wanted to reassure him she wasn’t looking for a relationship with any man. Not as long as she was still involved with the rodeo. Long-distance liaisons couldn’t be successful.
“I don’t judge a restaurant by Michelin stars or extravagant menu prices. I’m only there for the good food. Based on this steak, I do like this place.”
“Have you tried other restaurants in Bronco?”
Tyler had asked Brynn yet another question that was beginning to feel like an inquisition. She mentioned a couple places then said, “I’m planning to eat at the Library, because my sisters have been raving about that place.”
Tyler nodded. “It was an actual library before Camilla Sanchez turned it into a restaurant.”
“I like what I’ve seen of Bronco since moving here.”
“So, it’s true. You actually plan to make Bronco your permanent home when you’re not touring?”
“I’m still thinking about it.” Brynn knew for certain Audrey would settle down in Bronco once she married Jack.
“We hope you don’t take too long to think about it. Folks will never stop bragging that we have two superstar rodeo families living in Bronco.”
Garrett felt like an interloper, eavesdropping on Tyler’s conversation with Brynn. Chuck Carter had mentioned the Hawkinses were considering living permanently in Bronco, but Brynn had just told Tyler that she was thinking about it, and while she’d admitted to enjoying living in Bronco, Garrett knew he would run into her on a number of occasions.
Josie had asked if anyone wanted dessert, and she was met with a chorus of declinations before she signed the check and thanked the server.
“Thanks again for joining me and the family,” she said. “We’re all looking forward to sharing Thanksgiving with you.”
Garrett pushed back his chair and then assisted Brynn. “I’ll need your apartment number to deliver the bison burgers.”
She smiled up at him. “I’ll text you and let you know when I’ll be home to receive them. And thank you again for offering.”
“Are you kidding? It’s the least I could do after your family’s generosity with VIP tickets to the rodeo and now dinner.”
“It’s a Hawkins’ tradition we occasionally offer to friends and family,” Brynn said, reminding him of her mother’s toast.
“Speaking of traditions... You’ll get to meet some of my cousins when you join us for Thanksgiving. There are a lot of Abernathys in Bronco, so I want to warn you in advance that when we’re together, it can be a little overwhelming.”
Brynn’s smile was dazzling. “I’m looking forward to it.”
Garrett stared at her straight white teeth. “I’m certain we’ll get to see each other before then.”
“Bronco isn’t that big that we won’t occasionally run into each other.”
Garrett nodded. “You’re right.”
A beat passed. “Good night, Garrett.”
He wanted to give her the obligatory hug that Crosby was exchanging with Corinne and Remi. Instead, he merely nodded and said, “Good night, Brynn.”
Garrett carried Maeve as they exited the restaurant just as Tyler pulling up in front. He handed Maeve to Callie and said good night.
The temperature had dropped at least ten degrees and although the calendar indicated at least six weeks before the solstice, it felt as if winter had come early to Big Sky Country. The fall and winter were his favorite seasons, and he found every excuse to spend as much as time as he could outdoors. He’d recently purchased several portable liquid-propane patio heaters to offset the below-freezing temperatures when grilling outdoors.
He smiled when he’d recalled telling Brynn that he didn’t cook but grilled, and he wondered what she would’ve thought if he’d invited her to his home to witness his grilling prowess, then remind himself that, other than his mother, future sisters-in-law and female cousins, he’d never invited any woman to his home. And if he and Brynn were to become friends, he still didn’t know if that would ever become a possibility.
Garrett got into his pickup and maneuvered out of the parking lot, thinking about how much he’d enjoyed spending a couple of hours with the most delightful woman he’d ever met.
Flurries were falling as he pulled into the attached three-car garage and tapped the remote device on the visor to close the door. Max came to greet him as he entered the mudroom and removed his boots. “Do you want to go out?” he asked. The border collie responded with a loud bark. The dog followed him through the open floor plan to the front door, raced down the porch steps and disappeared into the darkness of the night.
Garrett knew Max would do his business and stay out long enough for him to change his clothes. Ten minutes later, he stood on the wraparound porch in a pair of jeans and running shoes, waiting for the dog to return. There were nights when Max slept in the heated barn with the horses but not tonight. The flurries had increased in intensity and there was no doubt several inches of snow would blanket the countryside before sunrise.
He saw a flash of brown and white in the glow of the porch’s solar lights and smiled. His pet was back.
“Come inside, boy, where it’s warm.”
Max shook himself, ambled inside, and settled down in front of the stone fireplace. Garrett placed several logs and kindling on the grate. With a flick of the fire starter, the kindling caught and, within minutes, the aroma of burning wood wafted through the first story. He replaced the screen and turned off all the lights except two lamps.
“Good night, buddy,” Garrett said quietly. Max may have been ready to turn in for the night, but it was still too early for him. He climbed the staircase to the second floor, walked into his bedroom suite, and flopped down on a love seat in the expansive sitting area. It had taken him more than six years to save enough money to build the home he’d always wanted. Fortunately, he hadn’t had to buy the land because it was on Abernathy property and far enough from the main house and those belonging to his siblings.
Reaching for the remote on a side table, he turned on the wall-mounted television and began channel surfing until he found a basketball game. Watching television kept him from thinking about Brynn and why he wanted to see her again. Twenty minutes later his lids grew heavy. Then he changed, finished readying in the en suite bathroom, and went to bed. He fell asleep within minutes of his head touching the pillow.
Garrett woke at dawn and let Max out before he showered and pulled on a pair of threadbare jeans, a white T-shirt and thick, white, cotton socks. Surprisingly, there was less than an inch of snow on the ground and he predicted that would disappear by midmorning. It was Sunday and he planned to spend the day riding his favorite horse to check on the bison before grooming Tecumseh. He’d named the spirited Appaloosa after the famed Shawnee chief and warrior who’d formed a Native American confederacy promoting intertribal unity.
He was filling the basket in the coffee maker with grounds when the doorbell rang. Garrett glanced at the clock on the oven. It was after seven and he knew instinctively who it was. Smiling, he walked to the door and opened it.
“Good morning, sunshine,” he said in greeting as his mother headed for the kitchen.
“I made your favorite muffins this morning.”
“And I was just putting up a pot of coffee. So, are you going to join me?”
Hannah set the covered plastic container on the breakfast island. “Of course. I know you get up with the chickens, and because I was also up early, I decided to do a little baking.”
Garrett wanted to tell his mother she was always doing a little baking. In fact, she’d felt most at home in the kitchen after raising five rambunctious sons. “Did you enjoy yourself last night?”
Hannah sat on a stool at the breakfast island. “That’s what I was going to ask you.”
Garrett filled the coffee maker with water and selected the brewing cycle. “Yes, I did.”
“Was it because of Brynn Hawkins?”
He turned and met his mother’s eyes. Had she asked and expected him to lie? “It was because of a lot of things, Mom. I happen to like the food and service at DJ’s Deluxe and getting together with the family is something I always enjoy. Celebrating with the Hawkinses was definitely a bonus.”
“I’m not talking about the family or the Hawkinses, Garrett. I’m referring to one Hawkins in particular.”
Resting his hip against the countertop and crossing his feet at the ankles, Garrett folded his arms over his chest. “What ‘one Hawkins in particular’?”
“Brynn. Do you like her?”
His impassive expression did not change. “Yes, I like her.”
Hannah smiled and expelled an audible sigh. “I’m glad, because I like her, too. She’s good for you, Garrett.”
“Why would you say that?”
“Because you seem like a different person around her. You were doing a lot of talking and laughing, and that’s something I haven’t seen you do enough of since you moved back from New York.”
“That’s because she’s easy to talk to. She’s approachable and not judgmental.”
“In other words, she brings out the best in you. Even your father noticed that.”
Garrett threw up both hands in frustration. He knew his parents, his mother in particular, wanted to see him married again, but it wasn’t what he wanted. He was content with his life and his rightful place among several generations of Abernathys. “You’ve been wanting me to find someone to settle down with, but that’s not going to happen. Been there, done that. And definitely not with a woman who is much too young for me.”
Hannah blinked slowly. “Are you talking about Brynn?”
“Yes, Mom. Brynn.”
Throwing back her head, Hannah laughed uncontrollably. “You’re talking about her as if she were a girl,” she said once she recovered from her laughing jag. “Brynn Hawkins is a thirty-year-old woman who has been living on her own for years.”
I can’t believe she’s thirty, Garrett thought. To him, she looked much younger. But then, he didn’t know how a thirty-year-old woman was supposed to look. “She’s still too young for me,” he repeated.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, Garrett. There’s only a thirteen year difference between the two of you.”
“I would still prefer a woman closer to my age.”
“And if I were to introduce you to a woman closer to your age, would you date her?”
The distinct aroma of brewing coffee filled the kitchen and Garrett turned to take down two delicate hand-painted cups, saucers and dessert plates from an overhead cabinet. The chinaware had been a gift from his parents once he’d moved into the large log cabin during what had become an informal housewarming. He never used them when eating alone, but he used them whenever his mother came over, to demonstrate how much he appreciated her generosity.
“Probably not.”
“So, there goes your excuse not to date Miss Hawkins.”
“I’ve told you over and over that I don’t date.”
“You don’t date, yet you do see women.”
Garrett reached for a trivet and set the coffee carafe on it on the countertop, then chinaware and spoons. Yes, he did see women, but it wasn’t something he advertised to anyone. Especially to members of his family.
“Why would you say that?”
“Max,” Hannah said, flashing a knowing grin.
“What about Max?”
“Whenever you’re away overnight or even a day or two he comes around looking to be fed.”
“Max lives on the ranch, and everyone feeds him.”
“Max is your dog, Garrett, and you’re the one he goes to for food. He’ll only come to the main house when you’re away. You’re an adult, so I have no right to question your whereabouts, and I’m more than aware when my sons don’t come back to the ranch that they’re occupied with other things.”
“Don’t you mean other people?”
Hannah removed the top to the container and placed a muffin on each dish. “I shouldn’t have to spell it out for you.”
After removing a small carton of cream from the fridge, Garrett sat on a stool beside his mother. He filled her cup with the steaming brew, and then his own. “You have three sons that are engaged to be married and two granddaughters. And then there’s Crosby, who no doubt will be next to put a ring on a woman’s finger, so there’s no need for me to repeat something I suck at.”
Hannah added a generous dollop of cream to her coffee and slowly stirred it as she met Garrett’s eyes. “I can’t believe you’re blaming yourself because your marriage didn’t work out. You tried to give Faith everything she’d ever wanted, and it still wasn’t enough.”
“Faith wanted a baby and when she couldn’t have one, she decided on a lifestyle that was totally opposed to what I wanted. In the end, we were going in different directions, and that’s when I decided I had to come home.”
“You loved Faith more than she loved you.”
Garrett took a bite of the apple strudel-filled muffin. He chewed and swallowed it, and then took a sip of strong black coffee. He didn’t totally agree with Hannah. “I believe at one time that she did love me.”
“She loved what you represented, and that meant what you could give her. Faith is a social climber and all she ever cared about was landing a rich husband. It didn’t matter if that man was a Taylor, Abernathy, Dalton, or even a John. And when you brought her home to meet us, I knew within seconds that she wasn’t right for you.”
“Why didn’t you say something, Mom?”
“Would you have believed me if I had said something? No,” Hannah said, answering her own question. “I knew you were head-over-heels in love with her and, because you were so happy, I didn’t want to do or say anything to interfere with that. I did applaud you when you told her you wanted to wait until after you graduated college to get married. And instinct told me if you hadn’t given her a ring at prom, she wouldn’t have waited for you.”
Faith did wait. And, three weeks following his college graduation, and at the age of twenty-two, they were married at All Saints Church. The reception, hosted at The Association, a private cattleman’s club for local ranchers, had all the bells and whistles of a celebrity wedding.
“That’s the past and I try not to think about it,” Garrett said after a comfortable silence.
“It may be the past, but you’re still not over it. Meanwhile, Faith has moved on and she is now the third wife of a much-older, real-estate developer, who made her sign a prenup. Word is she sent her mother photos of her penthouse apartment overlooking Central Park.”
Garrett went still. “How do you know this?”
“During my last luncheon with some of the other ranchers’ wives, her name came up. I know they were waiting for me to make a comment, but I just sat there and said nothing. They didn’t realize I was glad you don’t have to deal with her anymore.”
“I hope she’s happy.”
Hannah made a sucking sound with her tongue and teeth. “Women like Faith are never happy, no matter what they’re given.”
Garrett knew his mother was right. He’d tried to give Faith whatever she’d asked for and, in the end, it hadn’t been enough. And Hannah was also right about him not getting past whatever he’d experienced in his marriage, while he didn’t know why he’d felt an instantaneous connection with Brynn when that had never happened with any other woman.
“I still wish her the best.”
“That’s because you were never one to hold a grudge. When folks ask me who’s my favorite son, I tell them I don’t have one. But, if I were truthful, I’d have to say you are because, after you were born, it took Hutch and me almost eight years of trying over and over to have another baby. Even if we were only going to be blessed with one child, then that meant he was incredibly special.”
Garrett chuckled. “I didn’t stay incredibly special long when you had Dean, and then Weston, Crosby, and finally Tyler. What made you decide to stop with Tyler?”
She grinned. “I’d given up all hope that I would have a girl, so I got used to five boys tracking dirt over my clean floors and drinking milk and juice from the containers rather than a glass.”
“I guess we were a handful when we were kids.”
She rolled her eyes and laughed. “It only got worse. You were off at college by the time your brothers started noticing girls. The phone never stopped ringing and the girls never stopped calling. After a while, I’d say give me your name and I’ll take a message. It finally stopped once they had their cell phones.”
“I’m glad I missed that,” Garrett joked. He could just imagine his mother’s frustration trying to figure out who was dating which son.
“You know, I kind of miss it too.” She reached out her hand and patted his. Her expression turned serious. “Raising five sons? I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.”
He smiled at her. “Love you, too, Mom.”
She pulled her fuzzy sweater around her. “I’m going back now to fix breakfast for your father. Are you coming over later for Sunday dinner, or do you have other plans?”
Garrett leaned over and pressed a kiss on his mother’s hair. “I’ll see you later. And thank you for the muffins.” He was shocked when he saw Hannah’s eyes fill with tears. “What’s the matter, Mom?”
She blinked them back before they fell. “It’s nothing.”
“You never cry for nothing.” It was on a rare occasion he witnessed his mother crying. The last time was when Tyler buried Luanne; not only had his brother grieved the loss of his wife, but he’d had to take care of his three-month-old baby girl. Hannah had helped Tyler with Maeve, but most times he’d insisted on taking on the full responsibility of raising his daughter.
Hannah sniffled, reached into one of the large pockets on the sweater and took out a tissue. She touched it to her nose. “I get a little weepy every once in a while. And it’s not because I’m unhappy. I think back to the time when I met and fell in love with your father, and all we’ve been through together, and it can be a little bit overwhelming. We have this ranch, five incredible sons, and now grandchildren.”
Garrett hugged her. “All’s well that ends well.”
Hannah blew her nose. “You’re right. Now I must be going, or Hutch will think I’m out with another man.”
“Yeah. One of his sons.” He walked her to the door. Ducking his head, he kissed her cheek. “I’ll see you later.”
He waited until Hannah got into the battered pickup and drove off. He knew she was still worried about him, but there was nothing he could say to assuage her concern or convince her that he was living his best life. Not only did he love living on the Flying A, he also enjoyed helping his brothers maintain the ranch and run the family business.
And he didn’t need a wife as much as he needed a woman he could relate to as a friend. Garrett smiled when he thought about Brynn Hawkins. She would be perfect because she did make him laugh—something he didn’t do often enough. If she was amenable to becoming friends, then he was more than willing to agree to the arrangement.