The Cowboy’s Runaway Bride (BBW Romance - Billionaire Brothers 1) (10 page)

Maddie swallowed hard as she finished making Carol’s drink. She brought it over to her and sat opposite the housekeeper. “So Garrett won’t be able to start his stud farm.”

Carol took a sip and nodded. “That’s right. I don’t know how he financed the purchase, but I don’t see how he could afford to buy another one.”

“What about insurance?” If you could insure a car, couldn’t you insure a valuable bull?

The housekeeper shrugged. “I don’t rightly know, but I did hear something about the insurance not kicking in.”

Maddie’s shoulders drooped. She knew how much Garrett valued that magnificent creature. “I better go and see if Garrett’s okay.”

The older woman took a healthy swallow of her coffee. “You’re good for Mr. Garrett. He’s been on his own for a while now.” Putting her mug down, she seemed to hesitate for a moment. “I don’t know if I should tell you this.”

“Tell me what?” Maddie waited for Carol’s reply, her curiosity piqued.

“If Mr. Garrett knew I was telling you...”

“Tell me what?” Maddie repeated. If it had something to do with Garrett, then she should know about it. Shouldn’t she? Maybe she could help him in some way.

Carol paused, and then seemed to come to a decision. “His grandfather made a will. He’s got four brothers, you know.”

“Garrett’s grandfather?” Maddie wrinkled her brow.

The housekeeper shook her head. “No. Mr. Garrett.” She leaned back in the wooden chair. “His grandfather was a mean man. Real mean. He made a will, but put off paying the lawyer until it was too late.”

Maddie sat back down. “What happened?”

Carol chuckled humorlessly. “The lawyer was annoyed at having to wait so long to get paid, so after Abel Trask died, he told everyone about the contents of the will.”

“And?” Maddie held her breath.

“If any of his grandkids married, they would no longer be entitled to their share of his estate.”

“What?” Maddie blinked.

Carol nodded. “Exactly. What kind of grandpa puts that in his will?”

“But what’s that got to do with Garrett?” Even as she asked the question, Maddie’s heart sank.

“With that bull gone, I don’t know what Mr. Garrett is going to do for money.”

In a flash, she realized what Carol was driving at. If Garrett had been receiving an income from his grandfather’s estate, once he married her, that money would disappear. And without Farley to start a breeding operation, there would be no money coming in - at all.

“Just as well I’m applying for the job at the library then.” She gazed down at her ringless finger. She wanted to be Garrett’s wife more than anything in the world, but if it meant the ranch could be saved ...

“I guess we could call off the wedding.” Maddie tried to smile.

The housekeeper shook her head. “Abel Trask was a wily old man. He thought of that. None of his grandkids can have a permanent relationship, with or without marriage if they want that money to keep coming in.”

“How much money?” she whispered, her spirits sinking. If it wasn’t that much and she got the library job here ...

“A lot.” Carol gestured toward the rest of the house. “How do you think Mr. Garrett paid for the ranch? It was on the market a long time, because it was so expensive. Nobody around here could afford to buy it. But Mr. Garrett, he took one look at it and made an offer on the spot.”

Maddie’s fingernails dug into her palm. “Did his grandfather have a ranch?”

The older woman nodded. “Yep. And as soon as he could, his son sold it. Said he didn’t want to have anything to do with his father, and the mean old coot didn’t leave his son anything anyway. He left it all to Mr. Garrett and his brothers.”

“And now ...” Maddie’s voice trailed off. Now Garrett faced financial ruin. She glanced at her engagement finger once more. Maybe that was why he hadn’t given her a ring yet. He couldn’t afford to. She thought guiltily of the new car he’d bought that she didn’t need, and her clothes from the store.

“What about the cabins?” she asked in desperation.

“I’ve been telling him to fix them up and rent them out to tourists for years,” Carol replied. “And now he finally has, it’s too late. Whatever he can rent them out for in summer won’t nearly be enough to keep the ranch going. Even if he doesn’t have a mortgage.” The expression on the housekeeper’s face made it plain she was certain the ranch was mortgaged to the hilt.

The housekeeper shook her head. “It will break his heart if he has to leave the ranch. He was meant to live on the land.”

Maddie blinked back tears. She’d known as soon as she’d arrived how much Garrett loved the place. And she’d grown to adore it too, although she’d only been here just over a month.

She recalled the overheard conversation when Garrett had been in his study, saying he had to consolidate. Perhaps things were already tight financially before Farley had become ill. And now ...

“I have to talk to him,” she whispered, forgetting the housekeeper’s presence. But what could she say? She remembered the look of pride on Garrett’s face yesterday when he said he could support her. Had he banked on the financial potential of his new stud farm?

Because now, with Farley’s death, he couldn’t support her if they married - or were even in a relationship. She couldn’t ask Garrett to give up the ranch for her - it was his whole life. He’d once told her he didn’t think he could ever live in the city again. He loved the wide open spaces of the ranch too much. And although she’d happily live with Garrett in a tiny one-bedroom apartment in Portland and continue working at the library there, she didn’t want him to be miserable. She couldn’t ruin his life.

Maddie took a deep breath. She knew what she had to do ...

M
addie surveyed the master bedroom, checking the drawers and closet to make sure she hadn’t left anything behind. She’d found a suitcase and had blindly shoved her clothes in, not caring if anything ended up wrinkled. Once she arrived back in Portland and found a place to live, she’d organize for her belongings to be sent there.

She smiled mirthlessly. She’d given up her cute one-bedroom apartment when she thought she was marrying Howard. Now, she had nowhere to go when she returned to Portland except Lyndsey’s or her parents.

Well, she’d figure it out when she reached the city. Until then, she had to keep it together. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be able to drive to the airport through her tears.

Maddie's hand trembled as she placed the note on the bed. Her heart felt like it was breaking into a thousand pieces. But what else could she do? She loved Garrett too much to stand in the way of his happiness.

But she’d never regret anything that had happened in the last five weeks. Not jilting Howard, nor meeting Garrett and falling in love with him. At least now she knew what real love was
. And incredible sex.

Maddie opened her wallet, took out the fifteen-hundred dollars Garrett had paid her that first week and placed it on the bed besides the note. She had a small amount of cash in her wallet. It would be enough to tide her over until her next paycheck from the library. Thank goodness she hadn’t gotten around to emailing her resignation letter. At least she had a job to go back to, if nothing else.

Picking up the suitcase, she took one last look at the bedroom, remembering what Garrett had looked like that morning, the sunshine gleaming on his bare muscular chest as he hooked an arm around her, pulling her to him before kissing her senseless.

She blinked fiercely. “Come on, Maddie,” she muttered. If she didn’t do this now, she wasn’t sure if she’d ever be able to.

Trudging through the house, she let herself out through the back door, near the garage. Carol had gone home for the day. Although she’d ached to talk to Garrett once the housekeeper had told her the bad news about Farley, she’d thought that maybe a clean break would be best. Because when she was in his arms, it was easy to lose sense of all rational thought.

Maddie looked around. There was no sign of Garrett in the courtyard, or riding across the pasture. “It’s for the best,” she whispered, opening the garage door and placing the suitcase in the trunk of the snazzy red car. Once she reached Portland, she’d arrange to have the car returned to him from the Wyoming airport. He’d be able to sell it and hopefully that would help him financially.

The car roared to life. She buckled up, half hoping that Garrett would hear the engine and try to stop her, and half hoping that he wouldn’t discover she’d gone until she was on the plane. It would be easier that way.

She drove out of the garage, down the winding driveway and out through the ranch gates. Nobody saw her. Nobody stopped her. She was truly on her own.

“I love you, Garrett.” She wiped away a lone tear. Telling herself to be strong until she reached her destination, she accelerated. Once she was back in Portland, she could fall apart ...

###

G
arrett entered the kitchen. “Maddie?” He’d had a hell of a day and needed to talk to her, wrap his arms around her, just breathe in her scent of vanilla and peaches and kiss her. His groin tightened. Yeah. He definitely needed to kiss her. And then carry her off to the bedroom and sink into her, finding the desire, love and satisfaction in her arms that he’d found nowhere else in his life.

And after that, he decided, they’d talk about the date for the wedding. Sooner, rather than later. He grinned.
Definitely
sooner.

“Maddie?” He headed toward the master bedroom. Maybe she was taking a shower. He chuckled. He could do with a shower himself. Half expecting to hear the water running when he entered the bedroom, disappointment radiated through him when he realized she wasn’t in the bedroom or the bathroom.

Where the hell was she?

His eyes cut to the bed, and he frowned. Picking up the piece of paper lying on his pillow, he sat down heavily when he saw the neat bundle of cash folded next to it.

Tear stains smudged the blue ink of the note. Garrett cursed, reading the note for the third time.

"Dammit." He crumpled the note in his hand. Giving the money only a cursory glance, he left the cash where it was. Raking his hand through his hair, he pulled open the dresser drawers and stared into the closet. All her clothes were gone. Every single item.

Her written words were burned in his brain. “
Carol told me about your grandfather‘s will.” “I can't marry you if it means you'll lose everything.” “I’ll always love you.” “I just want you to be happy.”

Well, there was no way in hell he could be happy without her in his life. And to run off like that, without even finding out if what Carol had said about his financial situation was true!

Striding to the garage, he noticed the open door. She’d taken the car he’d bought for her.
“I’ll park the car at the airport and arrange for it to be returned to you as soon as I arrive in Portland.”

Garrett pulled out his cell phone and stabbed the buttons.  It was time to bring home his runaway bride.

Drumming his fingers on the garage wall, he waited for his brother to pick up. As soon as he heard Alex’s voice, he said tersely, “I need the helicopter,
now
.”

“Something wrong?” His older brother enquired.

“You could say that.” He gripped the phone.

“Anything I can help you with?” Alex sounded interested.

Garrett barked mirthlessly. “Woman trouble.”

His brother chuckled ruefully. “I’ve got some of that myself. When you find the solution, let me know.”

Looking at his watch, Garrett answered. “Will do. Just send the ‘copter to the south pasture.”

“It’s already on its way,” his brother replied.

Shaking his head at his brother’s usual efficiency, Garrett ended the call. He just hoped he could catch up with Maddie before she reached the airport. If she got on that plane...

His jaw tightened. It meant it would take him a little longer to track her down. But track her down he would. And when he did...

Just as he heard the helicopter approaching, the doorbell rang. What now? Yanking open the door, he met the face of a surprised deliveryman. “Package for Garrett Trask.” The short, balding man held up a clipboard, a brown box under his arm.

“About time.” Garrett scrawled his signature. Grabbing the box, he threw a tip to the startled delivery guy. “I’ve got a chopper to catch.”

###

M
addie drove steadily, aware of the miles flashing by. In a few hours she’d land in Portland, and her life would return to her old routine.
A life without Garrett.

She’d done the right thing. She
knew
she had. So why was a little voice inside her head screaming at her to turn around the car and go back?

As she approached a junction, she hesitated. Should she return? Maybe the situation wasn’t quite so dire as Carol had made out. If she got the job at the library in Elk View Corner, perhaps she and Garrett could live frugally but happily on the ranch.

The junction loomed ahead. Just as she’d made her decision, the whirring blades of a helicopter filled her ears. Maddie peered through the windscreen. A helicopter hovered above her, keeping pace with her.

“What?” She bit her lip, trying to concentrate on her driving. Luckily, there wasn’t much traffic on either side of the highway. The helicopter moved ahead of her, a man’s arm emerging out of the door and waving at her. Maddie stopped breathing for an instant when she saw Garrett’s face appear.

She slowed down, veering onto the shoulder of the road, her heart hammering. With trembling hands she turned off the ignition. What was going on? Garrett didn’t have a helicopter.

The ‘copter landed in front of her. Maddie watched, hypnotized, as the blades slowly whirled to a stop. The door opened and Garrett dashed toward her.

She opened her door and got out, leaning against the red metal of the car for support.

“Maddie!” Garrett crushed her in his arms. “Thank God I found you.”

“Garrett.” Her voice was muffled against his hard chest. “What—”

“Shh.” He held her tightly, as if he would never let her go. Stroking her hair, he finally pulled away from her slightly to look into her face. “What did you think you were doing?”