Romancing the Rancher, page 28
He stacked the papers into a neat pile and put them back in the folder. “I guess we should celebrate or something?”
“Or something.” Josie high-fived him. “It’s been a grueling couple of months.”
“Yeah, who knew sorting out the estate of a billionaire would be so complicated?”
“Everyone?” She stood and walked toward the door. “Shall I let Evangelista in on the good news?”
Even as Josie opened the door, Evangelista immediately sailed in and zeroed in on Rio’s desk.
“Congratulations, Mr. Martinez. I’ve already drafted an announcement to send out to the whole company. Would you like to see it?”
“Thank you.” Rio handed her the file. “Can you take a copy of this and send the originals back to Peterson?”
“I sure can.” Evangelista smiled at both of them. “This is wonderful news.”
“Glad you think so. Now can you spare some time to come and celebrate with us over lunch? Yvonne’s booked a table at the hotel.”
“I’d be delighted to join you.” Evangelista nodded. “I’ll just get this sent on its way and I’ll be ready to leave when you are.”
“We should call Mamãe,” Josie suggested.
Rio checked the time. “Yeah, let’s do that.”
Josie came to sit beside her brother who accessed Facetime.
“E aí?” Isabelle asked. “Did you do it?”
“Yup, you’re looking at the new CEO of Howatch International and his chief of staff.”
“That’s wonderful news!” Isabelle clapped her hands together, making her gold bangles chime. “I know you will make Graham proud.”
“I’m not sure he’d like what I’m going to do to his company, but I have to follow my own path and vision.”
Isabelle nodded. “That’s true, he was a difficult man. But I suspect he’d appreciate you taking control and doing it your way.”
“Nothing he can do about it now,” Josie chipped in.
“Josephina! There is no need to speak ill of the dead!” Isabelle frowned at her.
“Why not?” Josie glanced over at her brother, who was trying not to laugh. “Not as much fun as bawling him out in front of a judge, of course, but far fewer consequences.”
“I will say a prayer for Graham and for both of you when I go to church tomorrow,” Isabelle said piously. “And, meu filho, I am very, very proud of you indeed.” She blew Rio a kiss. “Now, I must go. I have calves to deliver.”
Josie shook her head as the screen went black. “Dressed in a Chanel blouse, enough bling to scare the cows, and probably three-inch heeled boots.”
“She’s certainly her own woman,” Rio agreed, stood up, and stretched. “Do you need to get anything from your office or are you good to go?”
“I’ll just get my backpack and meet you by the elevators.”
* * *
They decided to walk to the hotel, which was only a block from their office. For once, it was a bright, sunny day and the early-morning fog had burned off, leaving the city basking in sunlight. Josie took a deep breath. After lunch she’d call Evan and let him know what was going on.
To her surprise over the past two hectic months, he’d become not only her cheerleader, but her closest confidant. Sometimes when she’d despaired that they’d never see an end to the complex problems and negotiations, he’d been the one to bolster her confidence by making her laugh or saying something so honest and Evan-like that she’d been able to reassess her priorities.
Now that everything was settled, she was looking forward to flying back to Morgan Valley and seeing him. He was her rock. Any doubts at how she felt about him had disappeared. It was time for her to live up to her promise and be as honest as he was.
“Come on.” Rio held the door open for her. “We’ve got a private space so we can celebrate in style.”
He kept his hand on her shoulder as he guided her past the smiling staff, through the main restaurant, and out onto one of the terraces overlooking the city and the Bay Bridge.
“Surprise,” he murmured as she stopped in her tracks.
Evan stood up and grinned at her. “You did it! All hail to the chief of staff, right?”
“Oh, Evan.” She ran toward him and he swept her up into his arms and twirled her around.
“Hey, don’t cry.” He kissed the top of her head as she clung to him. “It’s okay.”
“It’s . . .” She looked up at him and swallowed hard. He wore his new blue shirt from Adam’s wedding and his good pair of jeans and looked just about perfect to her. “It’s more than okay.”
“Yvonne brought me.”
“That’s so sweet of her.” Josie turned to look at her brother and his wife who were grinning like crazy. “Obrigado.”
“I thought you might appreciate seeing him up close after two months of phone calls and texts.” Rio put his arm around Yvonne. “I know how pleased I am to see this woman, and it’s only been two weeks.” He gestured at the table where Ines and Evangelista were chatting away. “Shall we eat?”
Josie sat next to Evan and, like teenagers, they held hands under the table. She couldn’t stop staring at him, but he didn’t seem to mind.
“Where are you staying?” Josie finally remembered to ask.
“Good question.” He smiled at her. “I can get a room here, or I can crash at Julia and Kaiden’s place.”
“Or you can come home with me,” Josie suggested.
“Don’t you have to get back to work?”
“Not today.” Josie held his hazel gaze. “Today is for celebrating.”
“Then I’d love that.” He brought her fingers to his lips. “It’s so great to see you, Josie.”
* * *
An hour later, they were walking hand in hand through the city back to Josie’s apartment. Evan was trying his best to be cool and laid-back when all he wanted was to strip Josie naked and make love to her for hours. He reminded himself to take nothing for granted. There was still a lot to talk about. If the last two months had taught him anything, it was that trust and patience took time to grow, and that if he was right, he and Josie were on a much firmer foundation than they’d ever been before.
“Where’s your hat?” Josie suddenly asked.
He pointed at his head. “On my head, doofus. Where else would it be?”
“That’s a baseball cap from Morgantown Feed and Grain Store, not a Stetson.”
He shrugged. “Maybe I’m just trying to blend in with the locals.”
“I don’t think you were born to blend in, Evan.” She used her swipe card to access the apartment complex and they went up in the elevator.
“Doesn’t hurt to try sometimes.” He followed her into the apartment and stopped well short of the windows. “It looks great! I mean, I know you shared the pictures but it’s good seeing it in the flesh.”
“Would you like some coffee?”
“Yes, please.”
He took off his jacket and boots and pulled out one of the high stools by the countertop so he could watch her in the kitchen. She looked good in her blue pantsuit with the pink blouse and her hair in a high ponytail. She’d look even better naked in his arms.
“I’m glad you came.” She handed him a mug and went over to the couch. “It saved me a trip.”
“You were going to come and see me?” Evan pretended to groan. “Man, I wasted all my money on a ticket?”
“Yvonne brought you on a private jet, so you’ll get no sympathy from me.” Josie rolled her eyes. “I wanted to thank you—for everything.”
He set his mug on the coffee table out of harm’s way. “I was just being your friend.”
“You were way more than that. You literally kept me sane.”
“It was my pleasure.” He paused. “Can we talk?”
“I’d like that.” She turned to face him, her arms folded over her chest, her expression so cautiously optimistic that Evan wanted to smile. “Do you want to go first?”
“Okay, you know you said you didn’t want me changing myself for you, and that I had to do it for myself?” At her nod, he continued. “Kaiden offered me an opportunity to work for him if I took some professional classes and got certified or something. While you’ve been busy here, I’ve been working my ass off online and at the community college getting my skills on.”
“That’s great.” Josie smiled. “I’m really proud of you.”
“The thing is—Kaiden works in two places now, Morgan Valley, and here in the Bay Area.”
“Okay.”
“Which means I can choose which jobs I want to take and where they are.” Evan held his breath.
“You can work here in the city?” Josie blinked at him. She’d always been the smart one. “Like while I’m working here?”
“That was my thought,” Evan said modestly. “But there’s no pressure. I mean you might not want me hanging around—umph.” She launched herself into his arms and he was doubly glad he’d put his coffee down.
She framed his face with her hands and stared into his eyes. “I love you, Evan Miller.”
“Yeah?” He wanted to whoop like he’d just won a world championship, but he also didn’t want to scare her off when things were going so well.
“Absolutely one hundred percent in all your adorable dorkiness.” She smoothed his hair away from his face. “I was going to tell you that Rio had agreed to me working from home, and that I was planning on following his example and sharing my time between here and Morgan Valley.”
“Then we can make it work?” Evan asked, just to make sure.
“Yes, I think so. Don’t you?” She kissed him sweetly on the lips. “You’re my person, Evan. You keep me honest and I love that.”
“Right back at you.”
They kissed for a long, long time, until she finally eased back.
“Are your family okay with you working away from home?”
“As Kaiden’s already doing the same thing, they couldn’t really object too much,” Evan reminded her.
“Won’t that leave your father shorthanded?”
Evan mock-frowned. “Whose side are you on? Kaiden and I already talked about that. We’re willing to pay someone to pick up our slack if Dad, Adam, and Danny need it, or come home and help out.”
“Okay, I’ll let you off, then.” Josie kissed him again and set her fingers on the top button of his shirt.
“Are we done talking?” Evan asked as she started to pull his shirt off.
“Yes.” She kissed the patch of skin she’d exposed. “If I don’t get you naked pretty damn quick, I think I’ll explode with lust.”
“Well, we can’t have that, can we?” Evan picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder, his heart almost exploding with gratitude and love. “Let’s go to bed.”
Epilogue
Unobserved by the family members streaming in and out of the kitchen with food for the upcoming outdoor luncheon, Jeff Miller leaned against the back wall of his house. It was rare to get everyone together these days, what with Daisy often in Silicon Valley, Ben in Los Angeles, and Kaiden and Evan going back and forth to the Bay Area. It was barely midday, but the heat was already rising, and the redwood trees provided some welcome shade.
Leanne had insisted they have a party, and he wasn’t in the mood to deny her much these days after she’d forgiven him for being a complete ass when they were married. It was weird how he almost didn’t recognize that man anymore. Sure, he still didn’t suffer fools gladly, and liked to speak his mind, but since his heart attack he’d learned some important lessons.
“Trying to get out of doing any work, Jeff?”
He looked down at the diminutive red-haired woman who’d snuck up beside him.
“It’s my big birthday, so I think I get the day off, right?”
Leanne elbowed him in the ribs. “I suppose so.”
“Glad we’re on the same page. Has Daisy arrived yet?”
“She and Jackson are popping in to say hi to their new nephew over at Cauy’s place first.”
Jeff snorted. “Another generation of Morgans in this valley.”
“Not a Morgan this time, but a Lymond.”
“No doubt they’ll have one of those high falutin’ double-barreled last names like everyone’s doing these days.”
“I like those names.” Leanne slipped her arm through his and leaned against him. “Mind you if Rachel really wanted to go for it, she could have three names: Ford Morgan Lymond.”
“The poor kid.”
“Did Adam tell you his and Lizzie’s good news yet?” Leanne asked.
“Nope, but Roman did spill the beans when we were working together out in the barn. He told me he’s getting a new baby brother for Christmas.”
Leanne chuckled. “That’s just like him. I’m looking forward to meeting my new grandchild.”
Jeff thought about that, his gaze turning to his tall oldest son who sat by the picnic table explaining something to Roman with a patience Jeff had never mastered.
“They all turned out okay despite me, didn’t they?” he murmured.
“You did your part.”
“I drove them too hard,” Jeff admitted perhaps for the first time. “I didn’t know any other way.”
“They’re all good kids,” Leanne said firmly. “Adam’s running this ranch like a pro, Ben’s experimenting with his place to make it one hundred percent environmentally friendly, and Kaiden’s done wonders at the Garcia’s. You taught them that. You should be proud.”
“I guess I did teach them good ranch management practices. Even Danny says that and he’s the one with the agricultural degree.”
Jeff heard the sound of a truck and turned toward the fence running along the side of the yard. “I wonder if that’s Daisy?”
Leanne smiled at him. “Why don’t you go and see?”
Despite insisting that he didn’t have favorites Daisy had always held a special place in Jeff’s heart, and everyone knew it. She climbed out of the truck and grinned at him.
“Hey, Dad! Happy birthday.”
“Thanks.” He accepted her hug and then looked over the top of her head at her husband, who was approaching rather more warily. “Jackson.”
No man would ever be good enough for his daughter, but he supposed Jackson was just about okay.
“Jeff. Good to see you. Happy birthday.” Jackson held up a gift bag. “Where should I put this?”
“There’s a table out back,” Jeff said. “Although I don’t know why anyone’s bothering. I’ve got everything a man needs right here.”
“Glad you finally realized that, sir,” Jackson murmured and then skedaddled when Jeff looked at him.
Daisy chuckled. “Trust my husband to let it out there.”
“He’s always had a big mouth,” Jeff agreed. “But at least you know where you stand with him.”
“True.” Daisy walked back into the yard with him. “And he’s right, you know.”
“Yeah.” Jeff found himself smiling as he observed the crowd milling around the table. “I’m one lucky guy.”
Daisy stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. “I’m going to find Mom and Auntie Rae. I’ll need their help setting up our new home in the summer when I’m finally free of my commitments to my old company.”
“You’re coming home for good?” Jeff perked up.
“Not sure about that, but we do want our own place. Now Rachel and Cauy have started a family we all agreed we need to spread out a little.”
“Seems to be a trend.” Jeff sighed. “Adam and Danny have their own houses on our land now, and Kaiden and Evan flit about like gadflies.”
“You love it really, Dad,” Daisy said. “At least they all choose to come home.”
Jeff thought about that as he got a beer and went to sit in the shade. A few years ago, he’d been certain the ranch would fail because none of his children would want to work it with him. He’d been wrong about that and about a lot of other things, too. Adam and Danny worked full time, and the others weren’t far away if needed.
His gaze strayed to where his ex-wife was chatting to their daughter and lingered there. If Leanne hadn’t stirred everything up by coming home and insisting they all dealt with the past instead of burying their resentments deep, he wouldn’t be where he was now—sitting here surrounded by his family, their partners, and their kids.
He loved it.
“What’s wrong, Dad? Did you eat something weird?”
He looked up to see Evan squinting down at him.
“I was just thinking how lucky I am.”
Evan frowned. “Are you feeling okay? Too much sun, or is it the beer?”
“There’s nothing wrong with appreciating what you have, Son.”
“Took you long enough,” Evan said, echoing Jackson. “But better late than never I suppose.” He winked. “Ben and Kaiden are done burning the barbecue so we’re ready to eat if you’re up for it.”
Jeff set down his beer and rose to his feet. “Lead the way. And mind you don’t dish me up any of that fake meat. It’s an abomination.”
“Ben’s put all Silver’s plant protein-based stuff on a separate grill so it’s not even touching your good Miller ranch beef.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” Jeff grumbled. “I suppose I should be pleased she didn’t insist on bringing her personal chef.”
“Are you dissing me, Jeff Miller?” Silver called out; her blond hair glinting in the sun as she turned around. She was flipping her fake burgers while Ben held their six-month-old baby girl in his arms and offered unnecessary advice. For a world-famous movie star, she sure mucked in with everyone and never complained.
“Not at all.” Jeff grabbed a plate and a napkin. “I’m just making sure I get to eat the real stuff.”
Silver sighed and came over to his side. “Won’t you even try some? It’s way better for your heart.”
“It’s my birthday. Leanne said I could eat whatever I liked.”
“Oh, well then. If Leanne is okay with it, knock yourself out.” Silver blew him a kiss.
He smiled at her, aware that he’d probably smiled more in the past six months than he had in the last twenty years. Something about all these daughters-in-law coddling and teasing him was softening him up and secretly he liked it. Not that he’d tell anyone that.
