“Can you fix it?”
“Yes, but I’ll need my laptop with my files to figure out where I can call in a favor.”
“Then let’s go back.”
They talked about the renovations to the house on the return trip and she hoped he hadn’t given up on keeping the place. No wonder he was worried about whether he’d made a mistake by buying it, though. After living for years with a critical woman who’d falsely accused him at every turn, he was sensitive to being judged for his personal decisions.
Fortunately for his career, he could take criticism directed at his acting ability. But Briana had attacked his character. With the unerring instincts of a bully, she’d hit him where he was most vulnerable.
When they arrived back at the barn, Cade happened to be coming out of it. “Hey, good timing. Just turn the reins over to me and scoot inside.”
Matt objected because he obviously took his cowhand responsibilities to heart. It made Geena smile to watch the two brothers argue over who would take care of the horses.
Matt glanced at her. “You need to get going, though.”
“I do, or I’d get in on this and help with the horses.” She looked at Cade. “A client’s throwing a hissy fit and I have to intervene.”
“Will it take long?”
“I hope not. Why?”
Cade shoved back his hat. “Damon and Phil will be here in about an hour or so for our Skype powwow,” he said.
“I should be finished by then.”
“Great. You’re gonna love this get-together. We’ve got us a Thunder Mountain think tank.”
“Sounds good.” She turned to Matt. “I’ll be working in my room. Fingers crossed I can handle this quickly, but in case I’m still in there when people start arriving, would you please come get me?”
“Be glad to.”
“See you both then.” She gave Matt’s arm a quick squeeze before starting for the house. On the way there she called Larisssa, who sounded a little panicky. “Don’t worry,” she said. “I’m at the ranch now and I’m on it.”
Nearly an hour later, she shut down her laptop with a sigh. Disaster averted. She stood and stretched while she tried to decide whether to take her makeup case into the bathroom.
Matt’s tap on her door answered that question. “Be right there.” She quickly put on lipstick and ran a brush through her hair. Good enough. She hurried over to the door and opened it.
Matt stood there, eyebrows lifted. “Success?”
“Yes, thank God. He’s being interviewed even as we speak and it’ll run this weekend. He’s thrilled and he’s promised to recommend the agency to everyone he sees.”
Matt laughed. “That’s a little over the top.”
“He won’t do it, but at least he won’t badmouth us, either, which is a relief.”
“That’s great news.” He paused. “Ready for the next event? Damon and Phil are here.”
“Okay. Good.” Remembering her last meeting with Damon gave her an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach.
“I hope you don’t blame him for the way he acted last night.”
“Of course not. He was protecting you. In fact, I envy that. My mom kept me so overscheduled I didn’t make lifelong friends who’d stick with me through thick and thin. My mom isn’t the protective type, either, so I’ve been pretty much on my own.”
“Well, you’re not anymore.”
She glanced at him in surprise. “What do you mean?”
“I’ve spent the last hour down at the barn grooming and feeding horses. Gave me some time to think. I don’t know if I’m destined to be your lover, but I’ll damned sure be your friend because you’ve been one hell of a friend to me. I’ll always have your back, Geena.” His gaze held hers. “Always.”
“Thank you.” She swallowed. “No one’s...no one’s ever said that they...anyway, thanks.” She felt silly getting choked up about it, but he’d given her something she hadn’t realized she’d been missing.
“You’re welcome.” His voice was low and tender. He likely hadn’t expected such an emotional reaction from her, but his expression indicated that he understood why. “Let’s go.” He held out his hand.
“You want to walk in holding hands?”
“Yes. I want Damon and Phil to know that I...” He paused as if uncertain how to finish the thought given what he’d just said.
“That you have my back?”
He smiled. “Exactly.”
“In that case, I’ll be proud to hold your hand.” She slid her fingers through his and the contact traveled through every part of her. She looked into his eyes. “Do you feel that?”
“If you’re asking whether I get a buzz whenever I touch you, the answer is yes.”
“Then maybe we shouldn’t hold hands.”
He gave her fingers a light squeeze. “Yes, we should.” Then he grinned. “Unless you won’t be able to control yourself.”
Ah, how she’d missed that grin. “I can if you can.”
“Then let’s do this.”
When they walked into the living room, everyone glanced in their direction and then, almost in unison, they looked down at Matt’s hand linked with hers. It sent a powerful signal.
Rosie and Herb gazed at each other and smiled. Lexi gave Geena and Matt a subtle thumbs-up. Damon and Phil came straight over as if determined to set things right immediately. Phil carried their redheaded baby, who wore a shirt and shorts today.
“My apologies, ma’am.” Damon touched his fingers to the brim of his hat. “I wasn’t very hospitable last night.”
“No apologies necessary.” Geena absorbed the innate kindness in his brown eyes. “I showed up uninvited and you were protecting Matt.”
“Yes, ma’am. But I was so focused on Matt’s situation that I didn’t even introduce Phil. I mean, Philomena.”
Phil propped the baby on her hip and smiled at Geena. “Please call me Phil. Sophie’s in a much better mood than she was last night, so this is a better meet and greet, anyway. Sophie, this is Geena Lysander, Uncle Matt’s friend.”
Geena gazed into the baby’s wide blue eyes. “Hello, Sophie.”
The little girl studied her with great interest as if trying to decide if this new person was someone she wanted to know. Apparently the answer was yes, because she held out both chubby arms and leaned in Geena’s direction.
Phil laughed. “I guess you’ve made a friend, but you don’t have to take her if you don’t—”
“I’d love to hold her.” She let go of Matt’s hand and gathered the sweet-smelling baby into her arms. “But just to warn you, I don’t know a thing about babies.”
“That’s what you said about horses, too.” The affection in Matt’s voice was unmistakable, which was both gratifying and embarrassing. Tipping back his hat, he beamed at her. “Turns out you’re a natural.”
“I’m guessing babies are harder to figure out than horses.”
“Definitely,” Phil said. “We didn’t know anything about them, either. Rosie and Herb weren’t baby savvy and neither was my stepmother. My dad ended up giving us all a crash course, since he was the one who’d raised me.”
“Somehow we’ve managed, but sometimes it gets ugly.” Damon grimaced. “Sophie loves her bath but she’s slippery as an eel. Picture Phil soaked to the skin while she tries to keep the baby in the little bathtub. Meanwhile, I’m on the phone asking my father-in-law about diaper rash. Oh, and now Sophie’s teething, which is a whole new circle of hell.”
Matt clapped him on the shoulder. “Builds character.”
“I’ll remind you of that when you’re getting up for feedings at two in the morning.”
“Yeah, you would, too.”
Geena doubted that anyone else had seen Matt’s first reaction to Damon’s teasing remark. The flash of anxiety in his blue eyes had been momentary, but she’d caught it. She could also guess why Damon’s comment had hit a nerve. Matt didn’t know if he was fit to be a husband, let alone a father.
Damon was too focused on his daughter to notice Matt’s subtle mood swing. “She keeps us hopping.” He paused to reach over and stroke her cheek with one finger. “But I love this little bugger.”
During the conversation Sophie had been trying to grab Geena’s glasses. Tucking the baby securely against her side, she managed to get them off and hand them to Matt. When she turned back to the little girl, Sophie grabbed a fistful of Geena’s hair and yanked hard.
“Ooh, that smarts.” She managed not to yell, or worse yet, swear.
“Uh-oh,” Phil said. “Here, let me—”
“I’ve got it.” Matt took Sophie’s tiny fist and dropped mini kisses on it while he gently uncurled her small fingers. “Come see your uncle Matt,” he crooned as he lifted her away from Geena’s hair and into his arms. “See if you can pull my hair. Betcha can’t.”
Sophie must have sensed a challenge in his words, because she immediately knocked off his Stetson.
“That’ll teach you, bro.” Damon scooped it up and dusted it off. “But I’ll have a talk with her about the sacred nature of a cowboy’s hat. Otherwise she’ll get herself in trouble messing with the Stetson.”
“Ah, doesn’t matter.” Matt settled her in the crook of his arm. Keeping his attention on the baby, he reached for Geena’s glasses, which he’d hooked in the neck of his T-shirt, and gave them back to her while he continued his conversation with the little girl. “Like your daddy said, I dared you and you took me up on it. You’ve got game, Sophie. I predict a bright, shiny future’s in store for you.”
Those baby blues gazed at him as if mesmerized.
Sophie wasn’t the only one caught in a net of adoration. Geena put on her glasses so she could more fully enjoy the sight of this tall, muscular cowboy sweet-talking an adorable baby. It was PR gold, but that wasn’t why her breath caught and her pulse raced.
If someone had asked her five minutes ago to describe her perfect dream of the future, she wouldn’t have been able to say what it was. But now she’d seen it.
Chapter Fifteen
“So, what about the house?” Damon looked at Matt and Geena as he asked the question. “Do you have a handle on what needs to be done?”
Geena decided to keep her mouth shut. She had no idea how Matt felt about the house at this point.
“I’m not sure I’m ready to answer that.” Matt tickled Sophie’s nose and she laughed.
“No worries,” Phil said. “It might take several trips over there to think it through. If you want us to go with you next time, we’d be glad to.”
Matt glanced up. “No rush. In fact, I’m wondering if I should have bought it in the first place.”
Inwardly, Geena groaned. Matt was pulling back, reevaluating his dreams. Not good.
“You are?” Damon’s eyes widened in surprise. “Last night you were all about the ranch. You couldn’t wait to go see it.”
“I know, but I’ve been rethinking the concept. I’d hate for you and Phil to invest time in it when I’ll only be able to enjoy the place sporadically. Besides, when I come back, I’ll want to be here, not sitting over there by myself.”
Both Damon and Phil looked confused, and Geena understood why. He’d walked in holding her hand, a clear indication they were a couple, and now he was talking about being alone in that house. His behavior wasn’t making any sense but that wasn’t surprising. His thoughts must be in turmoil.
He was saved from having to give them a better explanation when Ben and Molly Radcliffe arrived. Geena was delighted for the interruption. Matt was liable to dig himself into an even deeper hole if he kept talking about a future that was obviously unclear to him.
He introduced her to the newcomers and she liked them both on sight. Molly taught at the community college and had set up the academy curriculum. Ben was a saddle maker who offered academy students a chance to learn the basics of his trade. Molly talked Matt into giving up Sophie, and soon afterward, Cade announced the Skype call would begin in ten minutes.
Matt recaptured Geena’s hand before they started toward Rosie and Herb’s office. “I hope this works.”
“I have a good feeling about it. It’s your brothers, after all, and they only want the best for you.”
“Good point.” He took a deep breath and they walked down the hall.
She’d never peeked into the office, but she doubted it looked this way normally, with the computer connected to a large flat-screen and chairs grouped in two rows in front of it. Matt continued to hold her hand and Cade positioned them both front and center, with Rosie and Herb on one side, and Damon and Phil on the other.
“We’re not key players,” Damon said. “We don’t need to be in front.”
“Yeah, you do.” Cade gestured to Sophie. “Everyone wants to see the baby. Before we address the problem, we need to let them go nuts over your kid.” Then he turned to Geena. “I can introduce you first, though, since you’re the guest—”
“Not necessary.” She laughed. “It’s an old Hollywood saying—never work with animals or kids. They’ll upstage you every time. Let Sophie have her moment.”
Cade nodded. “Good call. Has Matt briefed you on the folks we’ll be talking to?”
“I know Finn’s the Seattle brewer and Chelsea’s the marketing guru he’s in love with, and she likes to use interesting colors in her hair. But I have no info on the other couple you mentioned.”
Matt glanced at the digital time on the screen. “We have a couple of minutes. I’ll fill you in.” He quickly told her about Ty Slater, his foster brother with the photographic memory who’d become a successful lawyer in Cheyenne, and Ty’s wife, Whitney, a talented barista who managed a local coffee shop.
“It’s time,” Cade said. “Here’s our agenda.” He passed out sheets of paper to everyone.
“Agenda?” Damon laughed. “Seriously?”
“Seriously, bro. We need to stay on track. We’ll have Sophie time for five minutes and then I’ll ask Matt to introduce Geena and explain the situation. After that we’ll throw it open for brainstorming.”
“He gets this drill sergeant attitude from working with teenagers all day,” Lexi said. “I’ve learned that once he’s in this mode, it’s best to just go along.”
“I’m happy to.” Geena was quickly becoming a Cade Gallagher fan. Obviously he’d taken on a leadership role and seemed to have a talent for it. He’d been right about providing some Sophie time. She was the first child born to a member of the brotherhood and she’d always occupy a place of honor because of that. She’d also have a passel of adoring uncles. The thought made Geena smile.
Sophie acted as if she already knew that she was a lucky girl. While everyone exclaimed over how cute she was and how big she’d grown, she waved her arms and bounced on Damon’s lap as if welcoming the spotlight.
True to his word, Cade broke in on the baby party after five minutes to announce that they had to get on with the agenda. He took some more flak for his dedication to a timetable, but he stuck to his guns.
Matt introduced Geena and gave a brief overview of the PR issue they were working with. “Basically, what I’m looking for is a way to combat the negative publicity without creating a tabloid nightmare for anyone else, especially Mom and Dad.”
Ty’s wife, Whitney, a blonde with classic features, was the first to speak. “Like everybody here, I’ve been following the news about you ever since you got the part. I think it’s wonderful that you landed it and I hate this for you, even though we don’t really know each other.”
“Thanks, Whitney. Rosie’s told me so much about you, I feel like I know you.”
“Same here.” She smiled. “But I have a question. In all the stuff I’ve read or seen, no one’s mentioned that you were a foster kid or that you lived in Wyoming, let alone at Thunder Mountain. Was that on purpose?”
Geena’s breath caught. Apparently Whitney wasn’t part of the inner circle and didn’t realize that was a loaded question.
Matt wasted no time in answering her. “Yes, ma’am, it was definitely on purpose. I figured it was nobody’s business. I didn’t even tell Geena. And now I really can’t bring it up even if I wanted to. Fans will think it’s a bid for sympathy.”
“I cherish my privacy, too.” Ty put his arm around his wife. “Whitney will testify to that. But when I ended up on the academy’s promo calendar two years ago, my story was out there for all to see. That made me really uncomfortable. But since then a lot of foster kids have told me they were inspired because I overcame the odds.”
“Same here,” Damon said. “I was asked to give a talk at the high school on that very subject. I had a couple of emails after that from kids who said they weren’t going to think of themselves as victims anymore.”
Matt nodded. “I can understand why talking to you would help them. I’ll admit I never considered that angle. I will from now on.”
“But you’re right about bringing the info to light now.” Chelsea tucked her hair, streaked with various shades of green, behind her ears. “So, Geena, what are your thoughts? I’m sure you’ve been thinking about how to fix things.”
“I have.”
Chelsea’s expression grew animated. “Great! Whatcha got?”
Geena hesitated. Was there any point in laying out a plan that Matt would hate? But, judging from her conversation with Cade earlier today, everyone else might go for it. She could be pitting him against his family.
“This is a brainstorming session.” From his position in the second row, Cade reached over and laid a hand on her shoulder. “We need to hear all the ideas.”
She turned to Matt. “You won’t care for it.”
His gaze was steady. “Like Cade said, anything goes in a brainstorming session.”
Technically that was true, but he could consider her suggestion a betrayal, especially if the others jumped on board and he became the one dissenting voice.
Matt knew exactly why he’d agreed to this Skype session. Cade had invoked the Thunder Mountain Brotherhood code. In high school Matt had stood by his brothers whenever some guy with spaghetti for brains decided to make fun of the foster boys who lived at Thunder Mountain. Apparently their loyalty to each other bothered certain types of people, mostly bullies.
Now Matt was the one being threatened by a bully and his brothers were here to support him and make sure he didn’t back down. He appreciated their support, but he trembled to think what kind of scheme Geena had dreamed up. She’d forewarned him that he wouldn’t like it and so chances were good he’d hate it.
But he couldn’t ask Geena to withhold her idea. Ultimately she couldn’t force it on him, anyway. He was still the client.
“Okay, here goes.” Geena sat up a little straighter. “What if Thunder Mountain Academy makes a promotional video during this break between semesters, and the story we put out is that Matt flew here specifically so he could be in it?”
Matt groaned. “That’s—”
“Brilliant!” Chelsea said. “I love it! Instead of looking as if you ran away to dodge bad publicity, we show that leaving LA had nothing to do with that.”
“That’s the idea.” Geena gripped his hand tighter.
“Matt, this could really work.” Chelsea’s expression was animated. “Fans will love that you’re donating time to promote your family’s enterprise. Make the video tomorrow and finish it by sundown. The video is released along with press about it, providing great publicity for the academy and wholesome PR for you. It’s genius.”
“Except making that video with me in it will destroy Mom and Dad’s privacy.” Letting go of Geena’s hand for the first time since they’d sat down, Matt turned to them. “This place is special. You don’t want reporters knocking on your door, asking invasive questions. You don’t want—”
“Son.” Rosie put her hand on his arm and looked into his eyes. “I’m not sure where you got this notion that privacy is important to us. We used to have up to twelve boys at a time living on this ranch, but after we retired we had more privacy than you could shake a stick at. We hated it.”
“Yeah, we did,” said Herb. “We’ve never worried about opening our home to others. When we ran a foster care facility we had to have the premises inspected regularly. After we got a reputation in the state for our work with kids, we were featured several times on TV.”
“You were? I don’t remember that.”
“They interviewed us when you were all in school. Identifying any of you would have been an invasion of privacy because you were underage.” Herb’s voice gentled. “But now that we’re running the academy, we’re actively seeking publicity, so making a video is a great idea. But you don’t have to be in it if that makes you uncomfortable.”
“But would you even want my name attached to the academy with all the negative stuff that’s been said about me this week?”
Rosie squeezed his hand. “We’re not worried about that. But we’d never want to exploit your fame for our benefit. That’s not—”
“Wait. You’re worried about using me?”
She nodded.
“We’ve all worried about that,” Damon said. “Lots of times when people get famous their relatives take advantage. That’s not who we are.”
Sophie picked that moment to start fussing and Damon stood. “Sorry, everybody. I think Sophie’s done with this Skype thing.”
“Yep, it’s dinnertime for her.” Phil got up, too. “Hate to run. Great seeing you guys!”
Everyone on the screen called out goodbyes, and the baby was distracted by that and stopped fussing long enough for Damon and Phil to make a more leisurely exit. They’d all be seeing each other in August for Cade and Lexi’s wedding, and while that event was being discussed, Matt had a chance to sort through what he’d just been told. Gradually the truth sank in, and as it did, he felt lower than a snake’s belly.
He hadn’t been protecting his family. He’d been protecting himself and his vision of retreating from the craziness of LA to the idyllic privacy of his home at Thunder Mountain. Talk about selfish.
If he’d been thinking about his folks instead of himself, he would have realized that the academy was a business like any other. Geena had tried to tell him he could help out when she’d mentioned the girls who’d stayed in the cabin they’d been cleaning earlier. He hadn’t listened.
Oh, his motives had seemed so noble, but now they looked totally self-serving. He needed to get over himself and concentrate on being an asset to his parents’ business. Teenagers liked movie stars. He’d idolized his share when he’d been that age. He hadn’t cared if they got in a little trouble now and then. It made them human.
But he hadn’t been willing to admit how much he could contribute to the cause because he’d been focused on his need for privacy. And why was that? A cold chill ran down his spine as the answer came to him. His mother. He could hide from her in LA, no problem. Not here.
His gut told him she wasn’t that far away. She’d probably stayed in Wyoming all these years, where she knew the public assistance programs inside out and the cost of living was reasonable. If he made the video tomorrow and left town before it was released, he likely wouldn’t have to deal with her.
But Rosie and Herb might. They could handle her, of course, but they shouldn’t have to. She’d been nasty fifteen years ago and he doubted she’d changed. According to what he’d learned about her personality type, she was probably worse.
“Matt.”
He turned to look at Geena. “It’s okay.” He hated seeing the anxiety in her green eyes, especially knowing he’d been the one who’d caused her to worry. “I’ll do the video. Even more important, I want to.”
She sighed and her shoulders relaxed. “Okay. That’s good.”
“But just so you know, my birth mother could see the video and contact the ranch looking for me. I’ll alert Rosie and Herb.”
“I’m sure they’ll run interference for you.”
“That’s just it. I don’t want them to. I’ll stay an extra two days after the video goes live to give her plenty of time to make the call. If she does, I’ll take it and invite her to the ranch.”
Chapter Sixteen
