The day had dragged on forever, with one thing after the next pulling Brody away from the only place he wanted to be. With Beth. Questioning Greg revealed little more than he’d already known and did nothing toward pointing him toward who might be behind torching the Summers’ barn. The only enlightening moment had been Greg revealing he’d kept up the insurance payments on the family home and property without his parents knowing. That put an interesting twist on the possibility the arson was motivated by money. And he was well aware people did a lot of crazy things out of greed.
He’d met Jeff back at the Summers’ barn, and surveyed the added damage, and helped collect new evidence. Jeff had volunteered to drive it to the lab in Austin on Monday. Might be a good idea, because Brody didn’t want to leave Beth, not while Evan remained free. He’d played a part in catching Evan and his buddy, Trevor, when they’d kidnapped Tessa. Whether it was luck or providence or fate, Brody had been the one to witness the two men strong-arm Tessa into their car. He’d been the one to contact Rafe, and followed them to the elementary school where Evan had taken Tessa. He seriously doubted Evan forgot about Brody’s role in his arrest. And Evan didn’t strike him as a forgive-and-forget kind of guy.
With a sigh, he pulled up in front of the Big House, spotting the white sedan with a rental sticker in the back window. Wonder who’s here?
He’d barely made up halfway up the walk before Beth opened the front door. The rapid beating of his heart when he saw her sped up even faster at the sight of her smile. He barely refrained from sprinting to meet her at the front door. Instead, he maintained his steady gait, capturing her hands in his, and squeezing them.
“You look beautiful.”
“Thanks.”
He loved the flush of pink in her cheeks at the compliment. “Everything go okay today?”
“Other than Evan still being out there somewhere, it’s been pretty quiet. Oh, my friend, Camilla, is here. Just so you know, she’s Evan’s sister.”
He couldn’t quite hide his frown. “What’s she doing here? Did she know about his escape?”
“She’s here because I invited her to visit. She’d planned to come to Texas anyway, because there were some papers she needed her brother to sign, and he’s been stonewalling her. I don’t know what they are, and I really don’t care. But she was going to stay with me. When she offered to stay at a hotel, your mother graciously offered to let her stay here—at the foreman’s house.”
Brody didn’t even try to hold back his laugh. “Bet Dane appreciated that bit of news.”
“I haven’t seen him yet, but Douglas got here a few minutes ago, and he took Camilla over there to drop off her bag and freshen up. They’ll be back in time for dinner. Or as your brother Heath called it, supper. He showed up this morning, and finagled your mother into making chicken fried steak.”
“Now that I believe. Heath has an unhealthy obsession with chicken fried steak for some reason. I swear he’d eat it for every meal if Momma would make it.”
Hoping for a few minutes together before joining the rowdy bunch he could hear inside, he asked, “Feel like taking a walk before dinner?”
“I’d love to.” She kept one hand in his as they stepped off the porch. He liked she felt comfortable enough to hold his hand. Maybe their botched first date attempt hadn’t ruined any chance for them, if he was lucky.
Making a split-second decision, he headed for one place on the ranch he knew she’d never been. It was a special place, one most people outside the family didn’t know existed, and he felt an uncontrollable urge to share it with Beth. See if she felt the undefinable pull toward it—toward him—he felt for her.
He led her around the side of the house, skirting a patio and continued walking until they came upon a small deck in front of a set of French doors. Decorative urns and pots overflowed with green ferns and vividly colored flowers in pots scattered over the concrete surface. Comfortable-looking chairs and a glass table to the side completed the charming vignette.
He heard her indrawn breath as soon as she spotted where they were headed. A white-roofed gazebo sat in the clearing, surrounded by tall pine trees. While it wasn’t huge, it was more than large enough to hold a dozen people comfortably. White lattice skirted the bottom, and a circular roof perched over the top. It reminded him of a woodland paradise, a hideaway in the middle of Texas, hidden away from prying eyes. He knew it was incongruent with a working Texas ranch, but his father had made this place, a special gift for his wife many years before.
Intertwined around the base of the gazebo, climbing pink and white roses and tall ornamental grasses grew in abundance, adding to its ethereal appearance, the air perfumed with the heady scent of the flowers, mixed with the earthy scent of the wooded area surrounding it.
Inside the gazebo, hidden in its depths was the big reveal, something surprising and unexpected. A well. When he’d been growing up, he and his brothers had called it the wishing well. He’d dropped more than a small amount of his allowance into its depths, hoping against hope for his desires to come true. Smooth stone encased the well itself, polished smooth with the age and the elements. The rocks weren’t shiny and brand new. They were aged and weathered to a natural beauty. It should have seemed out of place inside the wooden structure, but somehow it fit.
Tiny white lights ringed around the tree trunks and along the inside of the circular roof line of the gazebo. Brody reached inside the entrance and flipped a switch, the lights turned on, illuminating the area in a warm glow, making it feel like something out of a dreamscape.
“Brody, this is amazing.” Beth’s hand smoothed along the painted wood, her fingertips barely touching it, as if afraid to break the spell of the secret garden.
“This,” he gestured around, the sweep of his arm encompassing the whole area, “is Momma’s secret garden. Dad built it for her as a surprise a couple of years after they moved here. He cleared the land and built the structure, but she did the rest. Planted all the flowers and the ornamental grasses, stringing the lights, everything.”
Beth’s face turned up to his, her eyes shiny with unshed tears. “This is an expression of love. You can feel it in every inch. Every flower.”
He reached up and caught a tear with his thumb. “I didn’t bring you here to make you cry.”
Shaking her head, she laughed softly. “They aren’t sad tears. It’s just, seeing something like this, knowing the sentiment behind it, I can feel the love. Can’t you?”
“Yes.” The word broke forth and he knew he meant it, but not in the way she thought. He knew Douglas and Ms. Patti loved each other. Sometimes it was like watching two teenagers, they were so giddy with it. No, he meant it for her. Beth. The woman who’d inched her way into his heart a little bit at a time, until he couldn’t imagine his life without her. Without Jamie. They were a package deal and he wanted them both.
Beth climbed the step into the gazebo and stood looking down into the wishing well. Dusk had fallen, seeming to wrap them in a cloak of invisibility, where there wasn’t anyone around except him and Beth. He knew there were people in the Big House, within shouting distance, yet right here, right now, they were the only two people in the whole world.
“Thank you for bringing me out here, and showing me this beautiful place. I hope Ms. Patti won’t mind.”
“She’ll be fine with you seeing her garden and the gazebo. It’s a place she only shares with people she cares about, and you are definitely one.”
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a quarter and handed it to Beth. “Make a wish.”
Her lips curved up in a smile. “Really? Think it’ll work?”
“You’ll never know unless you give it a try.”
She closed her eyes for a few seconds, then tossed the coin. Stepping close to her, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against him, and held her. Simply let the night breeze embrace them, and enjoyed the stillness of the moment. Everything had been crazy for the last few days, and he knew they both needed a moment or two of being able to simply stop and take a deep breath. He was surprised when she leaned back against him, snuggling into his arms.
“This is nice,” she whispered.
“Yes, it is.”
She turned in his arms, and wrapped hers around his neck. “I’m sorry our date got ruined.”
“It wasn’t your fault. But we’re here now, together.” Reaching up with one hand, he brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, allowing his fingertips to glide across the silky skin of her cheek.
“Brody, I want…” Her words trailed off and her eyelids lowered, shielding her gaze. “Never mind.”
He lifted her chin with his knuckle, and her eyes opened, meeting his. “Tell me, Beth.”
“I want you to kiss me.”
“My pleasure, sweetheart.” Leaning down, he brushed his lips across hers, gentle at first, but deepened the kiss when he felt her response. He seemed to come alive inside, as if he’d been sleepwalking through life and only now was finally awake. It grew more intimate as his tongue traced along the seam of her lips, and she opened to him, making him feel ten feet tall.
The kiss ended with a gasp as they pulled apart, and he rested his forehead against hers.
“Wow.” Her voice was breathless.
“Wow, indeed.”
“Seems a shame we waited so long. Maybe we should do it again sometime?” The twinkle in her eyes matched the tone in her voice, light and teasing. A matching grin curved her full, just-kissed lips.
“Why wait?” He took her mouth in a devouring kiss, his hands cupping her face. Everything inside him seemed to click into place. This was what he wanted, what he’d been searching for without even realizing a piece of him had been missing.
Lifting his lips from hers, he trailed a line of kisses along her throat. Beth tipped her head to the side, her eyes sliding closed, and she tangled a hand in his hair. He worked his way back to her lips, devouring them, and deepening the kiss until they were both breathless. He drew his mouth along the skin under her ear, and down her neck, over her collarbone. Her skin was soft, silken, and perfect beneath his lips.
“Brody…” The words were a plea for more and he’d gladly give it. Give in to the desire rocketing through him. Make love to her until—
“Brody, you and Beth come in. Time for supper.” Ms. Patti’s voice broke them apart, and Beth stepped back, giggling like a schoolgirl who’d been caught doing something naughty. Her hands slapped across her mouth, trying to hold back her laughter.
“Momma’s timing could use a little work. Though she’s right, we shouldn’t be outside too long. Not with your ex still out there. It’s not safe.”
Beth leaned her head against his shoulder. “I always feel safe with you, Brody. We probably should go in, though. Thank you for sharing this beautiful place with me.”
“My pleasure. All of it.” In the glow of the twinkle lights, he watched pink suffuse her cheeks, knew she got the double entendre. “We’ll have to do it again sometime.”
“I think I’d like that.”