Million Dollar Baby

Four

Brooke felt so ill she was afraid she might pass out right there on the ladder. She stood perfectly still and pretended to paint the same four-inch square of wall until she heard a door open and shut. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the two men disappear inside the building.

What was Austin doing in Royal? Had he come to find her? Surely not. He’d been with Gus Slade. If she put two and two together, maybe Austin was the architect Gus had hired to build the fancy stage and outdoor annex. How did Gus even know Austin?

Who could she ask? Alexis? Then again, did she really want to draw attention to the fact that she was interested in Austin? She wasn’t. Not at all.

Liar.

What made the situation even worse was the expression on Austin’s face when he saw her. He’d been equal parts flabbergasted and horrified. Not the look a woman wanted to see from a man she’d spent the night with.

And see what he’d done to her, damn it...now he had her ending sentences with prepositions.

When the coast was clear, she wiped her brush and gathered her supplies. Ordinarily, she went inside the club to a utility sink and cleaned up before going home. Today, she couldn’t take that chance.

For the rest of the afternoon and all night long, she fretted. She’d spent the last eight weeks trying to forget about her one-night-stand cowboy. Now he had appeared in Royal, completely out of the blue, and looking about ten times as gorgeous and sexy as she remembered. If he really was the new architect, she was going to be forced to see him repeatedly.

Her body thought that was a darned good idea. Heat sizzled through her veins. But her brain was smarter and more sensible. This was a bad development. Really bad.

The following morning, when the sun came up on another beautiful October day, she wanted to pull the covers over her head and not have to think. Still, the memories came rushing back. An intimate hotel room. A rugged cowboy. Two naked bodies. What was she going to do? With yummy Austin in town, there would be hell to pay if her secret came out.

More than ever, she needed to get her own place to live. With the money Alexis was paying her for the murals, there would soon be enough in her modest bank account for first and last month’s rent on a decent apartment. In three and a half years, she would receive her inheritance from her grandmother and thus be able to start her after-school art program. Everybody took dance lessons and played sports—Brooke wanted to build a small studio where dreamy kids like she had been could dabble in clay and paint to their heart’s content.

All she had to do in the meantime was find a permanent job, any job, that would give her financial independence from her parents. That task was tough in a town where the Goodmans pulled strings right and left. Brooke had been unofficially blacklisted time and again.

Her parents’ behind-the-scenes manipulations were humiliating and infuriating. And all because they wanted her to be the kind of high-powered entrepreneurs they were.

It was never going to happen. Brooke liked who she was. It wasn’t that she lacked ambition. She simply saw a different path for herself.

Fortunately, her parents were both early risers and left for the office at the crack of dawn. Brooke was able to enjoy her toast and coffee in peace. Her stomach rebelled at the thought of food this morning, probably because she was so upset about the prospect of seeing Austin again.

What was she supposed to say to him?

Could she simply avoid him altogether?

She was small. Maybe she could hide.

When she couldn’t put it off any longer, she drove into town. Her parents’ Pine Valley mansion had been her childhood home. She’d left it only to go to college and grad school. Now it had become a prison. Her whole family was seriously broken in her estimation. Her brother Jared’s poor fiancée had been forced to run away from her own wedding to escape.

Brooke was still trying to find a way out. It wasn’t as easy as it sounded. But she was at least working on a plan.

When she arrived at the club, she parked one street over and gathered up the canvas totes that contained her supplies. At least she knew what Austin’s truck looked like. So far, she didn’t see it anywhere around. Maybe he was at his hotel doing whatever architects did on their laptops before they started a new job.

Hopefully she could get her murals done before he showed up again. Didn’t a project like this require site prep? Surely an architect wasn’t involved in that phase.

Her heart slugged in her chest. This was exactly why she had gone to another town for her secret fling. She hadn’t wanted to face any ramifications of her indiscretion afterward.

Remembering that night was both mortifying and deeply arousing. What thoughts had gone through his head when he woke up and found her missing? She had second-guessed that decision a thousand times.

In the end, though, it had been the only choice. She and Austin had been strangers passing in the night. Joplin wasn’t home for either of them. It had been the perfect anonymous scenario.

Except now it wasn’t.

To access the gardens, it was first necessary to go through the club. She greeted the receptionist and made her way down the corridor hung with hunting trophies and artifacts. Both of her parents had been members here for years. The building was familiar.

What wasn’t so familiar was the sensation of apprehension and excitement. She told herself she didn’t want to see Austin Bradshaw again. But the lie wasn’t very believable, even in her head.

It was almost anticlimactic to arrive in the gardens and find herself completely alone. The landscaping crew came and went at odd hours. This morning, no one was around to disturb Brooke’s concentration. Up until now, she had enjoyed the time to focus on her creations, to dream and to let her imagination run wild. Today, the solitude felt disconcerting.

Doggedly, she uncapped her paints and planned the section she would work on next. It was a large-scale, multilevel task. Instead of two long gray stucco walls at right angles to one another, Alexis had charged Brooke with creating a whimsical extension of the gardens. When spring came and the flowers bloomed, there would be no delineation between the actual gardens and Brooke’s fantasy world.

The work challenged her creativity and her vision. Not only did she have to paint on a very large canvas, but she had to think in bold, thematic strokes. It was the most ambitious project she had ever tackled, and she was honored that Alexis trusted her to handle the makeover.

When the stage was built, the new landscaping was complete and Brooke’s paintings were finished, the outdoor area would be spectacular. It felt good to be part of something that would provide enjoyment to so many people.

She selected the appropriate brush and tucked it behind her ear. Soon she would need a taller ladder, but for now, she was going to finish the portion she had abandoned yesterday. It was a border of daisies and baby rabbits that repeated along one edge of her mural.

Grabbing the metal frame that held four small paint pots, she climbed up three steps and cocked her head. White first. Then the yellow centers.

“Are you avoiding me, Brooke?”

The voice startled her so badly she flung paint all over herself and a huge section of blank wall and the grass below. “Austin,” she cried.

He took her by the waist, lifted her and set her on the ground. “So you do know who I am.” He smirked. “Yesterday, I wasn’t so sure.”

She scowled at him, trying not to notice the way sunlight picked out strands of gold in his hair without his hat. “What was I supposed to do? I couldn’t tell Gus how we met.”

Austin’s lips quirked in the kind of superior male smile that made her want to smack him. “Most people would have come up with a polite lie.”

“I’m a terrible liar,” she said.

“I’ll have to remember that. It might come in handy.”

The intimate light in his warm brown eyes and the way he looked at her as if he were remembering every nanosecond of their night together made heat curl in her sex. “Why are you here, Austin?”

“I have a job to do. Why are you here, Brooke Goodman?”

“I live in Royal. And I have a job to do as well. So that makes this terribly awkward.”

“Not at all.” He eyed her mural. “This is your work? It’s fabulous. You’re very talented.”

His praise warmed her. Other than Alexis, few people knew what she was capable of doing—at least, few people in Royal. “Thank you,” she said. “I still have a long way to go.”

“Which means I’ll get to watch as I build the stage.”

Her heart stuttered. He didn’t mean anything by that statement...did he? “Austin, I—”

He held up his hand. “You don’t have to say a word. I can see it on your face. You’re afraid I’ll spill your secret. But I won’t, Brooke, I swear. You had your reasons for what happened in Joplin, and so did I.” He cleared his throat, then went on. “The truth is, as much as I like you, we need to leave the past in the past. I’m done with relationships, trust me. And in a town like this, you clearly can’t do anything without the whole world knowing your business.”

He was saying all the right things. Exactly what she needed to hear.

So why did she have a knot in her stomach?

“I should get started,” she said.

“For the record, I was damned disappointed when I woke up and you were gone.”

“You were?” She searched his face.

He nodded slowly. “Yes.”

“It was an amazing night for me, but I didn’t have much basis for comparison.”

He chuckled. “Your instincts were spot-on. If I were in the market for a girlfriend and you were five years older, we might give it a go.”

Her temper flared. “Do you have any idea how arrogant you sound? I’m getting very tired of everybody in my life thinking they know what’s best for me.”

“Define everybody.”

Brooke looked over his shoulder and grimaced. “Here comes one now.”

Margaret Goodman was dressed impeccably from head to toe. Though she was well into her fifties, she could easily pass for a much younger woman. Her blond hair, sprinkled with only the slightest gray, received the attention of an expensive stylist every three weeks, and she had both a personal trainer and a dietitian on her payroll.

Brooke’s mother was ambitious, driven and ice-cold. She was also—at the moment—clearly furious. A tiny splotch of red on each cheekbone betrayed her agitation.

“What are you doing here, Mama?” Brooke stepped forward, away from the cowboy architect, hoping to defuse the situation and at the same time possibly avoid any interaction between her mother and Austin.

Her mother lifted her chin. “Are you trying to spite me on purpose? Do you have any idea how humiliating it is to know that my only daughter is grubbing around in the gardens of the Texas Cattleman’s Club like a common laborer?”

Brooke straightened her backbone. “Alexis Slade hired me to do a job. That’s what I’m doing.”

“Don’t be naive and ridiculous. This isn’t a job.” Her mother flung a hand toward the partially painted wall in a dramatic gesture. “A child could do this. You’re avoiding your potential, Brooke. Your father and I won’t have it. It was bad enough that you changed your major in college without telling us. We paid for you to get a serious education, not a worthless art degree. Goodmans are businesspeople, Brooke. We make money, we don’t squander it. When will you realize that playing with paint isn’t a valid life choice?”

Her mother was shouting now, her disdain and reproach both vicious and hurtful.

Brooke had heard it all before, but with Austin as a witness, it was even more upsetting. Her eyes stung. “This is a real job, Mama. I’m proud of the work I’m doing. And for the record, I’m planning on moving out of the house, so you and Daddy might as well get used to the idea.”

“Don’t you speak to me in that tone.”

“You don’t listen any other way. I’m twenty-six years old. The boys moved out when they were twenty-one.”

“Don’t bring your brothers into this. They were both far more mature than you at this age. Neither of them gave us any grief.”

Brooke shook her head, incredulous. Her brothers were sycophants and weasels who coasted by on their family connections and their willingness to suck up to Mommy and Daddy. “I won’t discuss this with you right now. You’re embarrassing me.”

For the first time, Margaret looked at Austin. “Who is this?” she demanded, her nose twitching as if sniffing out an impostor in her blue-blooded world.

Before Brooke could stop him, Austin stepped forward, hand outstretched. “I’m Austin Bradshaw, ma’am...the architect Gus Slade hired to build the stage addition for the bachelor auction. I’m pleased to meet you.”

His sun-kissed good looks and blinding smile caught Margaret midtirade. Her mouth opened and shut. “Um...”

Brooke sensed trouble brewing. She took her mother’s arm and tried to steer her toward the building. “You don’t want to get paint on your clothes, Mama, and I really need to get back to work. We’ll discuss this tonight.”

Margaret bristled. “I’m not finished talking to you, young lady. Put this mess away and come home.”

“I won’t,” Brooke said. She felt ill, but she couldn’t let her dislike of confrontation or the fact that they had an audience allow her mother to steamroll her. “I’ve made a commitment, and I intend to honor it.”

Margaret scowled. When Brooke’s mother was on a rant, people scattered. She could be terrifying. “I demand that you come with me this instant.”

Brooke swallowed hard as bile rose in her throat. She wasn’t wearing a hat, so the sun beat down on her head. Little yellow spots danced in front of her eyes, and her knees wobbled.

This was a nightmare.

But then, to her complete and utter shock, Austin intervened. He literally inserted himself between Brooke and her mother, shielding Brooke with his body. “You’re out of line, Mrs. Goodman. Your daughter is a grown woman. She’s a gifted artist, and she’s being paid to use that talent for the good of the community. I won’t have you bullying her.”

“Who the hell are you to talk to me that way?” Margaret shrieked. “I’ll have you fired on the spot. Wait until Gus Slade hears about this. You’ll never work in this town again.”

The whole thing might have been funny if it wasn’t so miserably tragic. Brooke’s mother was used to getting her way with threats and intimidation. Her face was ugly beneath her makeup.

Austin simply ignored her bluster. “I’d like you to leave now,” he said politely. “Brooke and I both have work to do for the club, and you are delaying our progress.”

Margaret raised her fist...she actually raised her fist.

Austin stared at her.

To Brooke’s amazement, her mother backed down. She dropped her arm, turned on her heel and simply walked away.

“Oh my God, you’ve done it now.” Brooke felt her legs crumpling.

Austin whirled and caught her around the waist, supporting her as she went down. She didn’t faint, but she sat down hard on the grass and put her head on her knees. “She’s going to make your life a living hell.”

“Sounds like you know something about that.” He crouched beside her and stroked her back, his presence a quiet, steady comfort after the ugly scene.

“I appreciate your standing up for me, but you shouldn’t have done it. She doesn’t make idle threats. She’ll try to get you fired.”

“I’ve dealt with bullies before. But I confess that I’ve never had to deal with it in my own home. I’m sorry, Brooke.”

She wiped her eyes and sniffled, too upset to be embarrassed anymore. “I’ve applied for six different jobs here in Royal since I finished school, and in every instance I got some flimsy excuse about why I wasn’t qualified. The first couple of times I wrote it off to the fact that I was straight out of college and grad school and had no experience, but then I got turned down for a waitressing gig at a place where one of my friends worked. I knew she had put in a good word for me.” She released a quavering breath. “So I couldn’t understand what I had done wrong...how I had interviewed so poorly that they didn’t want me.”

“Did you ever find out what happened?” he prodded gently.

“Yes. I couldn’t let it go, so I screwed up my courage and went back to the restaurant and talked to the manager. He admitted that my mother had called him and threatened him.”

“Son of a bitch.”

Austin’s vehement shock summed up Brooke’s reaction in a nutshell. “Yep. Who does that to their own kid?”

“What exactly is it that she wants you to do?”

“Daddy would be happy if I went to law school and joined him in his firm. Mama is Maverick County royalty. Her family owns one of the richest ranches in Texas. I’m supposed to play the part of the wealthy socialite. Wear the right clothes. Hang out with the right people. Marry the right man.”

He grimaced. “Sounds wretched.”

“You have no idea. And my mother is relentless. I have an inheritance coming to me from my grandmother’s estate when I turn thirty. All that’s necessary for me to get my money sooner is to be married or to have my parents’ permission. But my mother has convinced my father not to let that happen.” She lifted her chin. “So I’ve decided I’ll do whatever it takes to get out from under their roof. This job is the first step toward my liberation. Alexis isn’t afraid of my mother. This is real employment with a real paycheck.”

“But it won’t last long, surely.”

“No. The garden part will only take a few weeks. After that, Alexis wants me to do the walls in the childcare center. I’m saving every penny so I can rent an apartment.”

He put the back of his hand to her cheek and gazed down at her in concern. “You don’t look good, honey. Maybe you should go home.”

Brooke struggled to her feet. “Absolutely not. I won’t let Alexis down.”

He sighed. “When do you quit for the day?”

“Around four.”

“How about afterward we grab some food and take a picnic out in the country...find a quiet place where we can talk?”

“What if someone sees us and asks questions?”

His grin was remarkably carefree for a man who had recently tangled with the Goodman matriarch. “Let’s live dangerously.”

Five

Gus peered through the French doors and frowned when he spotted Brooke Goodman getting chummy with Austin Bradshaw. He’d have to nip that in the bud. Austin was on his radar as the perfect match for Alexis, even if neither of them knew it yet.

Impulsively, he strode out to the parking lot and climbed into his truck. There was one person who shared his goals, one woman who would understand his frustration. He drove out to Rose Clayton’s Silver C Ranch feeling more than a little regret for all the years of bitterness and recrimination that lay between him and Rose. She had hurt him badly when he was a young man. Betrayed him. Broken his heart.

Still, five decades was a long time to carry a grudge.

The only reason they were speaking now was because they were both determined to keep their grandchildren from hooking up. Wasn’t that what the kids called it these days?

Hell would freeze over before Gus Slade would let his beloved granddaughter Alexis marry a Clayton.

Rose answered the door almost immediately after his knock. She had aged well, her frame slim and regal. Chin-length brown hair showed only a touch of gray at the temples. Her gaze was wary. “Gus. Won’t you come in?”

He followed her back to the kitchen. “I found a good prospect for Alexis,” he said.

Rose waved him to a chair and poured him a cup of coffee. “Do tell.”

“His name is Austin Bradshaw. Architect. Widower. Did some work for me a few years back...a handsome lad.”

“And what does Alexis think?”

Rose’s knowing smile irritated him. “She doesn’t know my plans for the two of them yet, but she will. I need some time, that’s all. As long as you keep Daniel occupied, we’ll be fine.”

“You can rest easy on that score. I’m sure there will be any number of eligible women bidding on him at the bachelor auction.”

Gus drained his cup and leaned his chair back on two legs. “Did Daniel actually agree to the auction thing? It doesn’t sound like his cup of tea.”

Rose’s face fell. “Well, I had to coax him. I did point out that he and Tessa Noble would make a lovely couple, if she bids on him.”

“I agree. Makes perfect sense.”

“Unfortunately, Daniel gets quite frustrated with me when I try to give him advice about his love life. He has come very close to telling me to stay out of his business. Imagine that. His own grandmother.”

Gus snorted. “The world would run a lot more smoothly if young people did what their elders told them to.”

Rose went white, her expression agitated. “You don’t know what you’re talking about, old man.”

Her demeanor shocked him. “What did I say, Rose?” The change in her was dramatic. He felt guilty and didn’t know why.

“I’d like you to leave now. Please.”

Her startling about-face stunned him. He thought they had worked through some of their issues. After all, she had wronged him, not the other way around. Was she implying somehow that she had been manipulated by her father? Gus had worked for Jedediah Clayton. To a sixteen-year-old kid, the ranch owner had been both vengeful and terrifying. Yet that hadn’t stopped Gus from falling in love with the boss’s daughter.

Gus had finally made the decision to leave the Clayton ranch. He’d spent four years on the rodeo circuit, saving every dime. Then he’d returned to Royal, bought a small parcel of land and gone back to claim the woman he loved.

His world had come crashing down when he discovered his childhood sweetheart had married another man. Even worse was Rose’s crushing rejection of the love they had once shared. The long-ago heartache was still vivid to him.

He had married her best friend.

But now he was confused.

“Go,” she cried, tears gleaming in her eyes.

He caught her hands in his and held them tightly, even when she tried to yank away. “Did your father do something to you, Rosie?” His heart sank.

Her lower lip trembled. Suddenly, she looked every one of her sixty-seven years. “None of you cared,” she whispered. “I was a prisoner, and you and Sarah never saw through my facade.”

“I don’t understand.” His chest hurt. He couldn’t breathe.

“He threatened me. My mother was desperately ill. He was going to let her die if I married you, refuse to pay for her treatments. So I had no choice. I had to pretend. I had to choose my mother’s life over my happiness. I had to marry another man.”

“My God.”

Rose stared at him, her eyes filled with something close to hatred and loathing. Or maybe it was simply grief. “Go, Augustus. We’ll continue our plan to keep Daniel and Alexis apart. But please don’t come to my house again.”

* * *

Somehow Brooke managed to work on her mural hour after hour without passing out or giving up, but it wasn’t easy. The episode with her mother had upset her deeply. She felt wretched. Even now, her legs trembled and her stomach roiled. Her life was a damned soap opera. Why couldn’t her family be normal and boring?

She paused in the middle of the day to eat the peanut butter sandwich she had packed for her lunch. The club had a perfectly wonderful restaurant, but dining there would have meant changing out of her paint-stained clothes, and Brooke simply didn’t have it in her today. So she sat on the ground with her back to the wall and ate her sandwich in the shade.

She half hoped Austin would show up to keep her company. But clearly, he was very busy with the new project. She saw him at a distance a time or two. That was all.