White Collar Cowboy (6 page)

Chapter Ten

By the time Gavin pulled up to the main house at Shadow Maverick Ranch, he felt somewhat better. In truth, the simple act of driving through the gates gave him peace.

He’d missed this place. He couldn’t wait to bring Lauren here.

The house itself was a huge, two-story spread. His dad had added on to the original structure when it became obvious Gavin’s mother got pregnant whenever his dad so much as looked at her. There were plenty of bedrooms for Gavin and his five other brothers and sisters, plus several others for guests. State-of-the-art kitchen. Enough living space for them, and—according to his parents—any grandchildren that came along. They’d turned the original office space into a private den for his dad, while Gavin had helped build the new office between the house and the horse barn.

Shadow Maverick Ranch sported well over three-hundred-thousand acres, spread over several counties. A huge amount of territory for his brothers to cover. And if Gavin secured the Nelson ranch, the number could more than double overnight. Not to mention the head of cattle it would add. His family needed him. They had hired hands—would need more— but the Mathis family weren’t the sit-on-the-sideline kind of folks. First ones out, last ones in. That was how they did things.

He’d made the right decision to come home. It sucked Lauren’s job had been a casualty of his choice, but he’d be damned if he’d let it be the end of their relationship. He’d make it right. No way he’d let her go without a fight.

He prayed she’d still be there when he got back. If she wasn’t, then he’d find her and drag her ass back.

As he stepped out of the truck, his dad and two of his three brothers walked from the house. Gavin bit back a grin at the imposing group. All over six feet tall, skin darkened by the Texas sun, and hair as black as his own. Except for his dad, whose hair had gone almost entirely gray in the six months since Gavin had been home.

“Son,” his dad said and wrapped him in a bear hug.

“Hey, Pops.” Gavin was surprised by how much his dad had aged. He held the look of a man who’d worked too hard for too long.

Clifton Mathis didn’t know the meaning of the word rest. He’d married his high-school sweetheart, raised six children, and had never missed a day of work in his life. Cliff had picked up where his own dad had left off, and built Shadow Maverick Ranch into a legacy to be proud of.

A legacy Gavin was determined to keep going strong. As the oldest son, it was his responsibility to see to it.

Standing nose to nose, Gavin wrapped his hands around his dad’s shoulders and held his gaze. “You’re looking tired, Pops. Have you lost weight?”

Cliff rolled his eyes. “Now don’t you start, boy. Your momma is bad enough, harpin’ on me to slow down like I’m old or somethin’.”

Clayton clapped Gavin on the shoulder. “Watch yourself, big brother. Stubborn runs in the man’s veins. Every time Mom tells him to stop doin’ somethin’, he does it that much more.” Clay looked him up and down. “Damn, it’s good to see you, Gav.”

Gavin grinned like an idiot and slapped palms with Clay, pulling him in for a one-armed hug. “It’s good to be seen.”

“When you girls are finished,” Paxton grumbled beside him.

“What was that? I’ll show you…” Gavin’s retort died away. Jesus, it’d been two years since Pax had walked into the barn and caught his wife fucking not one, but two, of their ranch hands. The shadows still shrouding his brother’s expression made Gavin want to bring those bastards back and kick the shit out of them all over again.

“Show me what?” Paxton asked and poked at his stomach. “That livin’ overseas has made you soft and squishy?”

Soft and squishy, my ass.

But now wasn’t the time to get into his brother’s problems. They’d have plenty of time to talk later. Gavin would make sure of it.

“Aw, Pax. Don’t be jealous,” Gavin teased instead and pulled Pax into his hug with Clay.

The three of them slapped each other’s backs and Gavin felt the pieces of his life clicking into place. This was where he belonged.

“Where’s Erin?”

“And just like that, we’re chopped liver.” Clay said to Pax.

Gavin smirked, having had this conversation his whole life. “Well, she
is
my twin.”

“And you have some sort of special connection, yada yada yada,” Pax joked. “We get the same bullshit from Jared and Jade. Poor Clay and me, bookended by twins. Lone wolves, caught between all your special connectedness.”

“You’ve got plenty of special to go around, Pax.” Erin laughed as she shouldered her way through the throng surrounding Gavin.

Gavin swept her into his arms. “Goddamn, Erin. You get prettier every time I see you.”

Erin laughed and hugged him hard. “Always the sweet-talker. You don’t look half bad yourself, you know, for a foreigner.” She popped her fist against his ribcage. “About time you found your way home.”

Erin had given him the most grief over the years about his move to London. Even though he hadn’t lived in Texas for years, she’d resisted the idea of an ocean separating them. No amount of explaining could convince her a plane ride was a plane ride, no matter if it were to New York or London.

He rubbed the area she’d hit. “I’ll remind you about that in a month or so when I’ve done something to piss you off. Where are Trevor and Amber?”

Like their parents, Erin had married her high school sweetheart, Trevor Liles, shortly after graduation. Gavin didn’t know all the specific details, but it had taken fifteen years for Erin to conceive their first child. Amber had recently turned two. In Gavin’s opinion, his beautiful little doe-eyed niece was more than worth the wait.

“Trev’s repairing fence along the western border today. Amber is finally taking a nap, and I swear Gavin, if you wake her up, you’re taking her back to the beach house with you.”

As much as Gavin wanted to see the little sprite, he didn’t want to test Erin’s threat. He had enough on his plate with Lauren to thrust a wild two-year-old on her.

“Speakin’ of fences, we’ve got work to do.” Pax said.

Clay nodded in agreement. “You gonna hang around?”

Gavin shook his head. “Nope, sorry. I’ve got a few more things to take care of, but I’ll be around this weekend.”

A few shoulder punches later, Gavin watched his brothers head toward the four-wheelers parked at the edge of the driveway.

Erin gave him a quick hug. “I’ve got work too.” She walked backward a few steps, her smile brightening his day. “Wait’ll you see what Jade and I have been doing.” She spun on her boots and all but skipped away.

Gavin hooked a confused thumb in her wake. “What’s that about?” he asked his dad.

“I’ll let her and Jade tell you about it. We’ve got other things to talk about.”

“They at school?” The youngest Mathis twins were juniors in high school.

His dad smirked. “Yep. They told me to make sure you knew they tried to get out of it. Jared has football practice this afternoon and Jayden has work to do with Erin. You’ll see them this weekend.”

They headed into the office and Gavin dropped onto the worn-out, leather couch that sat under a set of windows, overlooking the paddock. The desk was in shambles—papers, files, and binders covered the surface, piled in stacks that looked ready to nose-dive at any second.

Gavin had no doubt his dad knew where everything was, but if he was going to take over this office, organization was going to be high on his list of priorities. Lauren was extremely organized, but more than that, she could help him put together the deal he had brewing in the back of his mind. If she agreed to take the job he was prepared to offer her.

There were so many things he wanted to talk to her about. He glanced down at his phone. Damn it, he must have forgotten to plug it in last night, because it had shut itself off. It beeped in protest when he tried to power it back on, the screen going dark once again. Great.

His dad popped him on the leg and sank into a chair across from him. “It’s good to have you home, boy.” Concern creased his brow. “Although, I’m not happy you had to sacrifice your job to do it.”

Gavin frowned. “Come on, Pops. I didn’t sacrifice anything I wasn’t ready to give up. And by the looks of it, I’ll have plenty to keep me busy around here. Which reminds me, I had Tom look into Nelson’s ranch.”

His dad wiped a hand over his mouth and chin. “Pretty big undertaking, don’t you think? You don’t want to start small? Like getting your arms around what we already have before you try to double it?”

Gavin smiled with pure enjoyment. “Go big or go home.”

“You
are
home,” he said dryly.

“Not the point.” Gavin slid to the edge of the couch and rested his arms on his knees. “Listen, Pops. We have an opportunity here. Nelson left the ranch to his niece, who is ill-equipped to handle a spread that size. Hell, of any size. She’s got no experience, and she’s got no family, as far as Tom has been able to find. She’ll be taken advantage of. If we don’t make an offer, someone else will. Or worse, someone will sneak in and take it out from under her.”

Pops seemed to consider what he said. Finally, he spoke. “The vultures are circling, son. Make damn sure you aren’t one of them. I don’t know what kind of fancy deals you’re used to makin’, and there was no love loss between old Lawrence and me, but we won’t be a part of taking advantage of that poor girl.”

Gavin bit back an angry retort. His dad’s comment wasn’t anything new, but this time the dig didn’t rile him as it would’ve in the past. Pops hadn’t been a fan of him going to work for corporate America, but he should at least give Gavin a little credit. “Understood, sir. For the record, taking advantage of her wasn’t my intent. Any deal we strike will be mutually beneficial.”

Pops nodded, seemingly satisfied his son had retained a moral compass while working for the big bad. “Good enough. Assuming you can put together such a deal, have you considered how you’ll handle that kind of growth?”

“I haven’t worked out all the details. Of course, we’ll need to get Pax and Clay involved in the logistics, and the whole family will need to agree on terms, since it will affect all of us.” Gavin looked Pops in the eye. “And I have someone I’d like to bring in.”

Pops cocked a brow. “Who?”

Gavin couldn’t keep the smile from his face. “Lauren Delgado. She and I worked together for years, and she would be a valuable asset to us.”
To me.

“I see.” Gavin suspected he did see, since his dad mirrored his smile. “And in what capacity will Miss Delgado be joining our little outfit?”

In that moment, Gavin had never been more sure of anything in his life. “If I’m lucky, Pops, she’ll be my wife.”

But, he’d take whatever she’d give him.

He’d hurt her. The fact ripped his guts to shreds. He probably had no right to ask her to stay with him. To upheave her life and move to Texas, where she had no friends or family.

He’d spend every day making sure she never regretted a moment with him. She’d wake each day and sleep each night knowing she was cherished. Loved beyond measure.

So, whether he had the right or not, he damn sure was going to ask.

Chapter Eleven

Lauren sat on the beach and looked out over the Gulf, her thoughts conflicted.

She’d found out Gavin had hidden the truth from her, yet all she could feel was relieved Erin had turned out to be his sister and not competition for his heart.

She didn’t care about the job. Sure, she’d been shocked—had spent a few days in relative self-pity whenever Gavin wasn’t occupying her mind or her body—but she’d worked through it.

Lauren had put in her time each day, giving everything she had to something that didn’t give back. Not in the way that mattered.

The hard truth of it was Lauren’s heart hadn’t been in her work for quite some time. Her friends had tried to tell her she was working too hard, but she hadn’t listened. It was crazy talk. She hadn’t felt burned out or run down. Her life had felt complete.

Until she’d come to Galveston.

Lauren flexed her toes in the cool, wet sand and drew in the salt flavored breeze. She shouldn’t have come here. Being with Gavin had opened her eyes to what she’d been missing. Even now, the thought of his sapphire stare and sexy smile—the one with the dimples—made her breath catch. He’d made her feel special, wanted. And when she had to go, her heart would stay here, on Galveston Island. With him.

She stood and brushed the sand off her butt. She draped her towel over her shoulder and walked back up to the house.

Could things get more complicated?

Gavin was right, she did know him. He hadn’t intended to hurt her. And he wouldn’t have decided to move back to Texas on a whim. In business, he was methodical, looked at every angle. Stood to reason he’d handle his personal life the same way. Maybe he was feeling as disconnected to his life as she was to hers and wanted to be close to his family. She hadn’t really given him the chance to tell her his plans once the cat was out of the bag.

All she knew was he’d moved back to Texas, and she lived in New York, although that could change with one phone call. She’d told her employment agency not to restrict the search. She’d be willing to move. She’d even gone so far as to have them focus on the Houston area, in order to see if she had any hope of staying close to Gavin.

So far … nothing. Not just in Houston, but anywhere.

She had to have a job, a way to support herself. Her savings wouldn’t last forever, and the fantasy she’d been living with Gavin these last few weeks couldn’t go on. As wonderful as it had been, all vacations must come to an end.

She used to wonder how people did it—took extended periods of time off, throwing away hard-earned money for a week of amusement. Now, she wondered how she was supposed to go back to her life.

Everything was different now.
She
was different. Wanting something more wasn’t simply
in theory
anymore. It was a deep-seeded need wrapped around her heart.

When she walked back into the house, her cell phone was ringing. Her heart jumped, almost as fast as she did to answer, hoping it would be Gavin.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Lauren. Andrew here.”

Lauren stifled her disappointment. Her headhunter. She’d used Andrew several times when she’d needed to find top-notch people for Clearwater to employ. The guy was a genius when it came to finding the right person, and she hoped he could work a little magic for her on the flip side.

“Hi, Andrew. What’s up?”

“I’ve got something.”

Her pulse sped up. “In Houston?”

“No, sorry. Still nothing in that area.” He sounded as if there never would be. “The company is in San Diego.”

Lauren fought back tears. California. Opposite end of the country from her current home, and far enough from Galveston to eliminate the option of weekend road-trips.

Andrew must have sensed her hesitation, because his tone changed from excited to cautious. “They’re a player, Lauren. They were about to pull the trigger on hiring a guy out of Utah, but I convinced them to hold off until they met with you. Honestly, once they saw your background, it was a no-brainer.”

“What’s on the table?”

Lauren guessed if Andrew had been in front of her, he’d have kissed her. “I’ve emailed you all the information. They don’t want to wait, Lauren. They want to meet you in the morning at nine. I checked on flights and it’s doable, but you’ve got to leave now.”

Too fast. Shit, she needed time to think. She didn’t know when Gavin would be back, and they hadn’t exactly left things on an ideal note. If she left now, what would he think?

She wasn’t ready for it to be over. She loved Gavin and had no idea what to do about it.

Telling him seemed the logical thing to do, but wouldn’t solve her employment problem. Worst case, he wouldn’t love her back. Best case, they’d be doomed to a long distance relationship.

Maybe they weren’t meant to be. That thought depressed the shit out of her.

“Lauren,” Andrew said slowly. “They are offering three times the amount you made in New York.” He hesitated, probably to allow her time to digest that little tidbit of need-to-know. “Complete benefits package, including stock options.” He sighed loudly. “You won’t get a better deal. I’m strongly advising you take this meeting.”

Andrew was right. An opportunity like that deserved at least a meeting. She’d known this day would come, though she hadn’t expected it to hurt quite this much.

“Set it up,” she said and went to pack her things.

* * *

Gavin cursed at the time. He hadn’t intended to spend
so long at the ranch, but it was almost dark by the time he pulled into the driveway at the beach house.

And his curses became much more colorful as he noticed Lauren’s rental car was missing.

So many times today he’d reached to text her, only to remember his fucking phone was dead and he hadn’t put his charger in the truck.

He let himself in, his mood turning blacker by the minute. He went to the bedroom. Her stuff was gone. He peeked into the bathroom. All of it … gone. Not so much as a toothbrush to show she’d been here.

His hands shook like a motherfucker and he rubbed a fist over his chest. Goddamn, this hurt. She might have removed her belongings, but she couldn’t remove the sweet scent of her shampoo that still hung in the air, taunting him. Every room held a different reminder, of laughter, of passion, of
her.

She’d said she’d be here when he got back. Hadn’t she?

He replayed every moment from this morning. He’d been shocked by her attitude toward Erin at first, and had flirted with the idea she’d acted jealous, possessive. He glanced around his empty house. Apparently not.

She’d asked for time to herself and then nodded when he’d asked her to stay. He’d taken her gesture and fooled himself into believing it to be a confirmation.

He was such an idiot. He shouldn’t have left until he’d made things right. Instead, he’d given her the space she’d needed to walk away. No telling where she’d gone or even how she felt about him now. And with his dead fucking phone, he couldn’t even call her.

Gavin wandered through the house. Maybe she’d left him a note. When he came up empty on the note front, he grabbed a bottle of scotch and went to the kitchen for a glass.

It’s possible she tried to text him. That thought lasted about another minute as he plugged in his phone and powered it on. He waited. And waited.

Pain and anger slammed him at once, each warring for the upper hand.

She’d left him without a fucking word.