Carter (Remington Ranch Book 3) (17 page)

Beau punched his arm. “Maybe so, but it’s worth it to see my little brother happy.”

“Thanks. I’m hopeful, but part of me knows I could still just be setting myself up for a fall.”

Beau nodded. “I hope you’re not, but even if it works out that way, you’ll be okay. I know you will. If it doesn’t work out for you two, it won’t be like before. Will it?”

Carter shook his head. It wouldn’t. “What are you doing here, anyway?”

“I’m on my way back to the office.” He looked shifty all of a sudden.

“On your way back from where? What have you been up to?”

Beau laughed. “You don’t miss a trick do you? You make out you’re all clueless, but you don’t fool me.”

Carter shrugged.

“Okay. I’ll tell you. But don’t go telling anyone else. You know how Mason and Gina are going to take over the big house after they get married?”

Carter nodded, hoping this wasn’t going anywhere bad. Beau had issues with everything to do with the division of the ranch. He hadn’t been happy about Mason and Gina getting the big house—and he certainly hadn’t been happy about Chance getting the cabin. “Yeah?”

“Well, when they do move into the big house what are Mom and Dad going to do?”

“I guess I hadn’t really thought about it. I mean they’re going to be in Arizona for the winter and then, I don’t know. I figure they’d just stay at the big house when they’re back.”

Beau looked skeptical. “And how well do you think that would work out for them? Or Mason and Gina?”

“Hmm, not so good, I guess. I really hadn’t given it much thought.”

“It didn’t seem as though anyone else had either. When I tackled Dad about it, he said they might rent a place from me!”

Carter couldn’t see that. He couldn’t see his parents being here in the valley and not staying on their own land. It wouldn’t be right. He frowned.

“Exactly!” said Beau.

“So what have you been working on?”

Beau grinned. He looked pretty damned pleased with himself. “Well, when Mason and Gina move into the big house, that’ll leave the cottage empty, right?”

Carter nodded. “You’re going rent it to them?”

Beau sighed. “I’m really not that much of an asshole. You think I’d charge our folks rent on a cottage?”

Carter shrugged and gave him a sheepish grin. “I’m slow remember, I’m just trying to catch up.”

“I’m going to
give
them the cottage!”

“Wow!”

Beau nodded. “It’s right there across the creek behind the barn. They’ll still be on their own land. I know dad wants to take a backseat in the future, but I think he’d go nuts if he couldn’t be around at all.”

Carter had to agree. He smiled at his brother. “You realize everyone’s going to know you’re not an asshole when you do this, right?”

Beau pursed his lips and shrugged. “I’m sure they’ll all think I have some ulterior motive, but what does it matter? It’s not about what anyone thinks; it’s about Mom and Dad. I thought they’d take the cabin when they moved out of the big house, but they went and gave it to Chance.”

“Can I ask you why you still have such a problem with him? It’s not as though he’s ever done anything to you.”

Beau shook his head. “Let’s not go there. I didn’t mean to get into that one.”

“Fair enough.” Carter knew better than to push it. “I think it’s awesome that you’re going to give them the cottage. I think they’ll love it.”

“You do?” For all his tough exterior, Beau looked like a little kid seeking approval in that moment.

Carter grasped his shoulder. “I do. I’d better get back to work for now though.”

Beau looked around. “It’s coming on great. You’re really going to leave your mark on this town now you’re landscaping all the public areas.”

Carter smiled. He hadn’t thought of it like that before, but now Beau said it, he liked the idea—very much.

“I’ll leave you to it.” Beau started to walk away. After a few steps he turned back. “Do you and Summer want to come out for dinner with me one night soon?”

Wow! Carter grinned. “We’d love to.”

“Great. I’ll call you.”

As he watched his brother walk away, Carter thought about how many things were changing. Beau had never asked him to come out for dinner before, and he’d never had a woman to go with before either. It seemed as though everything was changing—and for now at least, it seemed as though the changes were for the better.

Chapter Seventeen

Summer checked herself in the mirror. She looked good. She looked healthy despite or perhaps, if she was honest, because of the few pounds she’d gained in the last couple of weeks. Carter came into the bathroom and slid his arms around her waist as he stood behind her. Looking at their reflection she had to admit that they made a beautiful couple. She held his gaze and smiled.

“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” she asked.

“I was coming to ask you the same thing. They’re all my family—and it’s you that’s doing the cooking.”

“Well, they’re my friends, too. And you’ve helped with everything.”

He really had. When he’d told her that Beau had asked if they’d like to go out for dinner with him one night, she’d suggested that they have him over to her house. It had grown from there and tonight all the Remington boys and their ladies were coming.

“I was hardly going to leave you to do everything was I?”

She smiled. He wasn’t. He helped out with as much as he could, despite the fact that he worked hard all day while she sat around and did nothing! It was starting to bother her. When being here had felt like a vacation, she hadn’t minded spending her days drifting around the house and not doing much of anything. Now that she was starting to think that this might be her life, she needed to find something constructive to do with herself.

She’d brought Hero and the kittens home with her the other day from Carter’s place. It seemed silly to her that he was stopping home to check on them when they could be here with her and she could keep an eye on them the whole time. She enjoyed watching them and she couldn’t wait until the kittens were a little bigger and wanted to play, but even so, she needed to find something to do with herself. Playing with kittens could hardly be counted as being a productive member of society.

Carter’s arms tightened around her waist. “What are you thinking?”

She smiled. “I’m just wondering about what I’m going to do with myself. I need to feel useful, and I don’t.”

He turned her around to look at him. “I’ve been thinking about that too.”

She laughed. “You don’t like your girlfriend being a lazy good for nothing?”

He shook his head. “You know better than that. It’s just that I know you need to be doing something. I was wondering…”

“What?”

“Well, You seem to sing to yourself so much…”

It was true, she did love to sing, not just for an audience, but to herself, as she went about the house, when she cooked, in the shower, anywhere and everywhere really. Since her voice had been holding up so well lately, she’d been singing to herself again, even though she knew she wasn’t supposed to.

“And you seem to sing your own little songs.”

She smiled. “You noticed?”

He nodded. “It’s hard to miss. I know all the songs you’ve ever put out, but I never recognize any of the ones you sing around the house.”

She shrugged. “I make them up as I go along.”

“I know. You’ve always written your own songs. Can’t you keep doing that?”

She stared at him. “What for?” She wrote her songs in order to perform them. If she wasn’t going to be performing anymore, why would she write?

He shrugged. “Maybe it’s a dumb idea. I don’t know. I just thought that there are songwriters out there. People who don’t sing, but they write. You’ve always done both, but even if you give up singing you don’t have to give up writing, do you?”

She thought about it. He was right. She could still write, but then who would sing her songs? Now she thought about it, most of the people she knew did one or the other, but not both. “I could. I suppose. I’ve just never even considered it before.”

“Like I said, it’s probably a dumb idea. I just wondered. I thought it might be a way for you to keep doing something you love.”

She nodded. “It’s a great idea. I need to get my head around it; but yes, I like it.”

The way he smiled made her heart swell with love for him. He was such a good man and he cared about her so much.

“I want you to stay here, you know that. But I don’t want you staying here to mean that you have to give everything up either.”

“Staying here means I get you.”

He nodded. “But that’s not enough.”

She wanted to argue with him. He meant so much to her, but she knew what he meant. He couldn’t be her everything. She needed to create a life for herself here if she was going to be truly happy. She hugged him tight and kissed him. “It’s enough for now. I’m going to have to find something to do with myself, you’re right. But it’ll work out. Right now, we’d better finish getting everything ready before the others start showing up.”

~ ~ ~

Carter smiled around the table. This was quite something. To have all his family here together, laughing and having fun.

Summer had made a wonderful dinner and Gina had made a delicious cheesecake that she’d brought for dessert. They were all quiet as they ate it.

Cassidy looked up and laughed. “See, G, you have to take it as a compliment that your cheesecake can shut these guys up for this long.”

Gina laughed. “Having grown up with them, you learn what will shut up them up and you roll it out now and then just to get some peace.”

Carter smiled. “You’ve been making this for years and years and it’s still my favorite.”

“Mine, too,” said Mason.

Summer smiled at them. “It’s so cool that you all grew up here together and are still so close now. I can’t imagine spending my whole life in one place like you all have.”

“All except Gina,” said Mason.

Carter smiled to himself at the look Mason gave his fiancée.

“She had to go out and wander the world for ten years before she came to her senses and came home.”

Gina shook her head at him, but didn’t argue.

“What about you, though?” Beau asked Summer. “You and Cassidy went to school with each other, right? You might have moved around a lot, but you’ve been friends since you were kids, haven’t you? I don’t get how people can keep friendships going when they don’t see each other for months.”

Summer smiled at Cassidy. “Some friendships are just like that. There have been times when we haven’t seen each other for years, but when we get together again, it’s like it was yesterday. To me, if someone is a true friend, it doesn’t matter how often you see them, or even how often you talk. What matters is that when you do see each other, nothing has changed. You’ve got news to catch up on, but you’re still the same people. You still love each other.”

Carter found himself wondering at her words. Would it be like that for the two of them if she were to go back to Nashville? Would they be able to be apart and then come back together as though no time had lapsed in between? He didn’t think so. Maybe that was because love was different from friendship—or maybe it was because he and Summer saw things very differently?

He looked up to find Cassidy watching him. She smiled. She always seemed to know what he was thinking. “It’s even better when you get to live right next door to each other, though,” she said. “I just wish we could get Autumn out here, too.”

Carter didn’t see that happening.

“What’s she doing while you’re here?” asked Beau. “As your manager, I’m guessing she doesn’t have much to manage with you gone.”

Carter turned to Summer. She looked concerned. She’d told him about her conversation with Autumn, but he knew she was still worried about what Autumn would do. She shrugged. “Apparently she’s stepped up to manage Matt McConnell’s tour.”

“Damn!” said Cassidy. “You didn’t tell me this. Do you think she needs me to go down there and give her a hand?”

Carter laughed at the look on Shane’s face. “It’s a good thing I know you love me!” he said to Cassidy. “A guy could get his feelings hurt hearing his fiancée talk like that.”

Cassidy laughed. “Your ego is far too robust for me to dent it.”

Shane laughed. “I can’t argue with that. I’m just glad you finally understand it.”

Cassidy rolled her eyes. “I do.” She turned back to Summer. “So how did Autumn swing that one? Is Matt with McAdam Records, too? Are they having her manage the other singers while you’re gone?”

Summer shook her head. “I’m really not sure how she swung it. She told me that she’s fine if I don’t want to sing anymore, then all of a sudden she’s managing this tour. I don’t know if she’s glad to be rid of me, or if she just threw herself at the first thing that came along, to prove there’s other work she can be doing.”

Cassidy smiled. “Well, Matt McConnell’s not a bad thing for a girl to throw herself at!”

“Hey!” Shane gave her a hurt look. “I do have some feelings you know.”

Cassidy leaned in and pecked his lips. “You know I’m only joking.”

He grinned and pulled her to him. “I do. I just wanted the sympathy vote.”

Carter chuckled as Cassidy pushed Shane away. “Asshole,” she muttered before turning back to Summer. “If anything, I can see Autumn and Matt getting together, can’t you?”

Summer smiled. “I don’t know. I can never figure my sister out when it comes to guys.”

Shane shot a look at Beau. “I can never figure my brother out when it comes to girls either.”

Carter had to wonder what he meant. Beau rarely seemed to have a date. But then who was he to talk?

“I don’t know,” said Mason. “It seems to me, there’s a little blonde who’s caught his eye lately.”

Beau sighed.

“Who’s that, then?” asked Carter wondering what he’d missed.

“They’re talking about Ruby again,” replied Beau. “The kid seems to have taken a shine to me.”

“Yeah, it’s so damned cute,” said Mason with a laugh. “You should have seen her go running to him yesterday when he came out to the barn to pick them up.”

“It may look cute to you,” said Beau, “but I never know where I’m up to. One minute I’m her favorite person in the world, the next I’ve managed to piss her off somehow and she hates me!”

Summer smiled at him. “She’s quite a handful. Have Carly and James decided what they’re going to do yet? You must have shown them a lot of properties.”

“I have, but nothing is ever quite right. Honestly, I think this place would have suited them, but I’m thinking you’re going to be staying?”

Carter frowned. He wished Beau wouldn’t put her under pressure like that. He was relieved when Summer smiled at him before answering Beau.

“Yes, sorry. This one’s taken.”

He nodded. “I did want to ask you, though. Would you mind if I brought them over to look at the place? Since they haven’t found anything that works for them, they’re thinking about building. I thought they might get some ideas from this place.”

Carter wasn’t sure he liked the idea of that, but Summer smiled, gracious as ever. “Of course. That’d be fine. I’m sure Ruby would love to meet the kittens, too.”

Beau smiled. “Yeah, maybe they’ll keep her distracted so I can actually talk to her aunt and uncle.”

“What’s the story with her parents?” asked Shane.

Beau shrugged. “All I know is that her mom is Carly’s sister. It’s just her and Ruby. Sounds as though she had a rough time of it. She used to manage a hotel in wine country. She lost her job when one of the big chains bought the place and brought in their own people. She’s been working three jobs since then and applying for any hotel management positions she can find.”

Shane rubbed his hand over his chin. “Is she looking to move up here, too?”

“Not that I know of, why?”

“Well, with the guest ranch doing so well, and we’re going to be expanding, I’ve been thinking about bringing someone in to manage the lodge.”

“Hmm. I can ask them if you like, but I don’t know the first thing about her.”

Shane shook his head. “It’s just an idea. I haven’t started looking for anyone yet, but if this woman fits the bill and just falls into my lap…”

Cassidy pushed at him. “She’d better not just fall into your lap!”

He laughed. “It’s just a figure of speech, princess.”

Carter laughed. The two of them were always like that. He knew they were totally confident in each other and he was happy for them.

Beau looked at his watch. “I hate to be the first to leave, but I’m the only one who needs to get back up to town. I should get going. Thanks for a wonderful dinner, Summer.” He looked around at everyone. “And for a great evening, guys. I really enjoyed this.”

That made Carter happy. He’d enjoyed this evening, too. He loved that they all seemed to be getting closer again—and that seemed to have a lot to do with the women who were coming into their lives. He wished Beau could find himself a woman. And he wished that Chance was here and would find someone, too. But he wasn’t going to hold his breath on that one!

“I love this,” said Gina. “How about we do it again next week? You can all come out to the cottage and I’ll make dinner?”

The others all nodded their agreement. It was a date.

~ ~ ~

Once they’d gone, Summer snuggled into Carter on the sofa. He wrapped his big arm around her and smiled down at her.