At some point she’d have to get more furniture.There was only one bed, for her own bedroom, but seeing that she’d probably be single forever and most of her friends live nearby there was no hurry.
Finally, the movers had brought everything into the house.She asked them to leave the boxes that had also been in storage in the garage.It was going to take time to unpack everything, but it wasn’t as if she had anything else to do after work and over weekends.
In most of the boxes were books, but there were also two boxes of stuff from her grandma’s house.Exactly what was in them, she wasn’t even sure.Before her grandmother had passed away, she’d told Ellie she packed up some of her things that she wanted Ellie to have.
As she opened her cupboard, she sighed.Most of the new clothes she’d bought in Bozeman were still at Becket’s house.Maybe she could ask Willow to pick them up for her…
A sound behind her had her turning around quickly.Her heart sighed.
Becket was standing in the doorway, hands on his hips, big, sexy and clearly ticked off.
“I didn’t expect to see you again,” she got out.“I’ve heard about your date.By now, everyone in Marietta has probably heard about it.”
“And you’re going to believe gossip before you speak to me?”
“I heard you on the phone yesterday when you made the date.Java Café at one.You had all the time in the world to tell me about it.You chose not to.I get the message.And relax, you don’t have to worry I’ll make a scene in public.”
“Can we talk about this?”
But she wasn’t listening anymore.“What’s there to talk about?One thing I asked of you, Becket, one thing.Tell me when you’re moving on.Don’t let me hear from Aurelia Hill you’re dating someone else.Well, I’ve heard from Aurelia.”
“Will you just listen…?”
“No!”she cried out, struggling to keep the tears at bay.“You stormed into my shop, stole my heart and now, not even two weeks later, you have another date!I… I can’t do this.Please leave!”
Becket stared at her for another moment before he nodded.“I thought by now you’d know something about me, but it seems I was wrong.I’m texting you a link,” he said as he took out his phone and pressed a few buttons.“Please look at it?It will explain the reason for my ‘date’,” he motioned with his hands.
“I’m not waiting around to be discarded again.You broke my heart, damn you, Becket Weston.”Turning her back on him, she got into the cupboard and closed the door behind her like she’d been thinking about doing since the moment she’d heard about Becket’s date.
*
Becket stormed downthe stairs, his heart in shreds.His mother and sister and sister-in-law were all waiting at the bottom.Everyone was frowning, clearly worried.
“What happened?”his mom got out first.
“I’ll talk to you later,” was all he said as he strode through the front door toward his truck.
Okay, maybe he should’ve told Ellie about his meeting with June, but damn it, by now she should know how he felt about her.She should certainly trust him to keep a promise.
Shaken and upset, he got into his truck and reversed into the street.For a moment, he looked back at the house.It was Ellie’s house.Her dream.Maybe he wasn’t supposed to be a part of her dream.Maybe it was that simple.
Stepping on the gas, he sped forward, soon leaving Marietta behind him.His heart was galloping away at an alarming rate, while his mind was trying to make sense of what had happened.
How did he feel about her?What was this craving to be with her, to touch her, to watch her, to make love to her?He’d never felt like this before about any woman, but he was struggling to put a name to the feeling.He couldn’t imagine a day without her in his life.She was funny, warm and so sexy, he couldn’t keep his hands to himself when he was around her.
“Discarded again.”Something everyone else in her life had done.Except for her grandma.Sighing he rubbed his face.Of course she was worried he’d throw her away, too.Damn it, she’d probably been waiting for him to confirm her fears.He’d told her the day before he had something important to discuss with her.She’d obviously taken that he meant to break up with her.
Their short conversation played over and over in his mind.Her eyes had been bright with tears when she’d said… Trying to remember her exact words, he took the turnoff to the ranch.His plan had been to go back to his house so that he could phone their lawyer, but minutes later he found himself stopping next to the graveyard.
As he got out of his truck he looked up.A soft breeze was rustling the leaves in the tall cottonwood trees surrounding the graveyard.Hayden had been so right: the view from here was spectacular.Over there was Yellowstone National Park, over on that side, the snowcapped peaks of the Absaroka Range and over there the Gallatin River.
This was Weston land, he was born and raised here.It was on this land he’d experienced loss for the first time when his grandparents had died.And then his dad.Apart from the few years he’d been away at college, this had always been his home.
He’d never questioned the fact that he would work on the ranch for the rest of his life, especially after they’d lost Walker.If he hadn’t been daydreaming, Walker would still be here, so he had to do his brother’s share of the work as well.It had been that simple.
Entering the graveyard, his heart settled down.He passed the graves of his great-grandfather, his great-grandmother, his grandpa and his nana, his dad and Madeline, Hayden’s first wife.The last one was Walker’s.
For long moments, Becket simply stood there as grief washed over him.Images of his brother as he’d been that last night flashed in front of him—laughing, happy, enjoying life.The big lump in his throat made it difficult to breathe.
