Chapter Thirty-Four

 

 

 

 

Matt sat on a log, his back against a pine tree. He picked up a bowie knife and threw it into a target of sorts. He visually traced the knife’s flight, got up, and removed it from the ground. In the periphery, there was movement off to the side of the cabin. Not just movement, it was Brandon on horseback.

This ought to be great. Sheathing the blade, Matt greeted his brother, “What the hell do you want?”

“Do you think running is the best plan?” Brandon asked.

“Fuck off. This is my party.”

Brandon nodded. For a beat, he didn’t say anything, glancing around. “What’s got you up here, of all places?”

“You have to ask?” He eyed his brother.

“I’d like to hear your side.” Brandon swung off his horse.

“I haven’t got a side. Not a thought. Not a heart.”

“Matt, what happened?”

“Well, let’s see. I hired Carolina to help out with the cattle dying. One thing led to another and I can’t get enough of her. She’s a two-headed coin. One side is flawless. But there’s the other side.” His throat muscles worked and he said in a hoarse voice, “Maybe it’s me.”

“Maybe it’s a misunderstanding. I heard about Haverty.”

Matt chuckled darkly. “Well, then you’ve got part of the story.”

“What’s the rest?”

“Fuck if I know.” His breath had gotten a stranglehold in his chest as he stared at his brother.

Brandon’s brow creased. “Don’t shit me. This has something to do with him.”

“You’re grasping for jackass straws.” Matt’s voice flatlined.

“Am I?” Brandon chuckled dryly. “Seems like you’ve got some pretty farfetched ideas about Carolina and him. What’s eating you alive?”

“Look, I went to the hotel.” Matt’s throat closed and it was pointless to go on.

“And you’re upset because Carolina’s old boyfriend came to town?”

Nodding at that partial fact, Matt gritted out, “She was there inside his hotel room. Yesterday, he invited her over and you can imagine what was served.”

“Hold on,” Brandon replied sharply. “You mean you went to the hotel yesterday? Trust me on this, the facts don’t add up. What exactly happened?”

Rage jacked up his spine at the memory of the squeaking bed and he glared at his brother. “Are you sadistic?”

“Not in the least. I’m trying to sort this out before you do something you’ll regret.”

Only because this was Brandon, did he give his brother room to maneuver on a subject that was closed. “They were in bed,” he growled.

Brandon shook his head. “You’re wrong. However you came to that conclusion, you’re dead wrong.”

“Why? Because you can’t believe that someone like Carolina could make a mistake? She’s not perfect. I thought so, but I was blind. Out in the hotel hall, I could’ve sworn I smelled her perfume. That’s how far gone she’s got me!” He tamped down the wrenching anguish that lashed his mouth shut.

His brother flipped up the brim of his hat. “Matt, that’s not what I mean. Carolina was with me yesterday, doing something for you! Hell, not just for you, for Evermore. She spent hour after hour, vaccinating and tagging cattle. Didn’t hand out the syringes and let us do it. She wanted to help. Got rolled in the process. Fuck, I’ve never seen a woman get rolled. I don’t ever want to see it again.”

Matt’s heart thudded as if it had gotten jolted back to life. “Is Carolina all right?” he demanded. “What happened? Why’d you let her get hurt?” Who was in the room with Haverty? It didn’t even matter. It wasn’t Carolina!

“Simmer down, big brother. She’s a little worse for wear. Near the end of the herd, Carolina went down when a cow turned on us. She got out of the way like a ninja, though. I’ve never seen anyone move like that. She didn’t stay down for the count. Not your girl. You would have been proud. Scared but proud.”

He had to get to Carolina and tell her what a complete idiot he’d been. If it took the next sixty years, he’d make it up to that woman. “Where’s Carolina?”

“About to get on a plane,” Brandon replied.

Matt barked out, “Give me your cell phone.”

“You know there’s no service up here. You want her, you’d better ride like the devil is on your back.”

“Don’t think I won’t,” he muttered, turning in the direction of his horse.

“Matt, there’s something else.” Brandon walked next to him. “Hearing all this, Cory was jabbering on about something that now might have some bearing. Becca was wearing Carolina’s perfume, bragging that she’d gotten a bottle.”

“Actually, it does. Becca has a habit of doing things that aren’t aboveboard.”

“Then, we’ll have to get to the bottom of it. Nothing will please Corinth more. I’m not sure how it matters, but our sister went ‘round and round, telling everyone that the perfume is impossible to get. Sold-out in the US because some princess wears it in England. Cory swore up and down that the only place Becca could’ve gotten the perfume was by borrowing it without Carolina’s permission.”

That news surprised the hell out of Matt. “It’s called stealin’ and it’s against the law.”

“From what Cory says, it’s a five-hundred-dollar bottle of perfume.”

Finally, they had a charge that would stick. It wasn’t an eye for an eye, but justice was justice. Might be enough leverage to get Becca to roll on whoever else was involved. “Ms. Sheridan’s going to have to answer some serious charges.” Matt clenched his jaw. “I’ll deal with it when I get back. Tell our sister, if she wants to see justice done, we’ll need her to write out a statement.”

“Corinth McLemore will only be too happy. You know how she is if someone thwarts her with a lie.”

“She’s a McLemore. And thanks, Brandon. Dude, I owe you.”

“We’re brothers. You’ve been there for me.”

Matt grinned at the truth. They sure as hell were.

***

MATT didn’t start sweating until he had parked and began to run through the airport garage. Carolina was leaving out of Gate Five. Thankfully, this airport was tiny on many scales except when a plane was departing in fifteen minutes. By this time, she would’ve boarded and he headed straight for the ticket desk.

At the American Airlines counter, the ticket agent smiled. “How may I help you?”

“I need a seat on the plane leaving here and headed for Miami, Florida.”

“Sir, that plane has already finished boarding passengers. The next one is due out tomorrow.” The ticket agent gazed impassively over the counter.

Matt went for broke. “There’s a woman on the plane who’s stolen something of mine.”

The ticket agent’s expression changed from blasé to alarmed. “I’ll contact security. You can speak to them and file charges. Unless you’ve already called the police.”

“They can’t help,” Matt pressed on, gazing directly into the agent’s eyes. “She’s stolen my heart. I don’t want it back. I just need to speak to her before she leaves. She’s not coming back if I don’t.”

The agent scrutinized Matt and bit her lip. She blinked her eyes and laughed. “I wish my boyfriend had pursued me with as much conviction.” She picked up the phone. “Hold flight 2421. I repeat, hold flight 2421.”

***

A sting began to sear a path across the back of her eyes. Carolina stopped gazing out the window as soon as the first tear dropped. Her heart kept beating, a million pieces torn apart, but it kept beating.

She’d called Matt and Brandon, but couldn’t reach either. Sarah had come over along with Wade to wish her well. They thanked her for her help and Sarah had enfolded her into her arms. She whispered to Carolina, “Don’t give up hoping.”

Carolina had not shed a tear. Amazed by her one herculean strength, for all she’d wanted to do was crumple and sob and try to explain that she loved Matt. Yes, she really loved him. But it was too late.

Sarah had pressed a silver cuff bracelet into her hand. “My mother gave this to me before I left for college. She thought it would bring me luck.”

Carolina gazed at the bracelet on her wrist, tracing the filigree lines, and cast a wish. As the jet engines revved up, she put her earbuds in and pressed play. She inhaled deeply, fighting to hold onto her self-control. Suddenly, the hairs along her neck stood straight up. Aramis? The scent was unmistakeable.

This is what she got for having a flighty imagination. Yet the scent didn’t disappear. As if surrounding Carolina in an impermeable bubble, she wanted to wrap herself in the scent before it was gone.

God, how she’d made a mess of things. She couldn’t bear the thought of leaving without seeing Matt. Her heart lurched and she bowed her head, giving in to the sorrow that filled her to the brink. Tears began to splatter down her face. She closed her eyes to stop the dam that had busted within her body.

“Please,” she whispered, praying that the stabbing in her heart would stop.

“Don’t cry, darlin’.” Warm fingers brushed across her cheek and a strong hand grasped hers.

Carolina opened her eyes, disbelieving, wanting it to be true. “Matt?” she breathed.

Gorgeous, tanned and fixing her with that sapphire blue gaze of his, in the flesh, her cowboy was seated next to her on the plane. All she had to do was reach out and touch him. Her arms shot forward and she ran her hands along his strong shoulders. “How’d you find me?”

“Dr. Rodriguez, you won’t get away this easy.” Matt’s thumb brushed against her cheek, wiping away another tear.

She removed her earbuds and said, “That wasn’t my intent.”

“Carolina, I’m sorry. You really knocked it out of the park with those vaccinations and I dropped the ball. I went momentarily insane, believing...” He stopped, holding her gaze. “Please forgive me, baby.”

“Shush.” She put her fingers on his lips. “It’s easy to go crazy when you love someone.”

Matt lowered his face so that they were closer. “Caro, I love you so much. If I have to follow you to Miami, I won’t let go of you, and what we have. Ever.”

“I didn’t want to leave, I love you, too. Right now, let’s both promise to never let go of one another.”

“Done,” he said, cupping her chin so that her gaze held his. “You’ve got my word and my heart.”

“It’s a deal.” Carolina squeezed his muscular arms. “Do you know, I’ve been in love with you cowboy, since the moment I ran into you.”

“Yeah, I guess that was the moment I figured out you were someone very special.” Matt chuckled, then whispered, “Marry me, baby.”

A zing of joyous elation shot through Carolina and she laughed. “You’re something else, you know that?”

“We both are, Dr. Rodriguez.”

She leaned even closer, until they were inches apart, and stared into his dark blue eyes. “I’d love to marry you, Matthew McLemore.”

He kissed her. In that moment, Carolina knew soul deep that this man was hers. This is how it felt to let go and trust, secure in the arms of a lover, a friend … the cowboy who’d captured her heart. They came up for air, both of them smiling.

Matt took her hand and drawled, “What do you say, if we go get that mobile office of yours? I’ve got just the place to park it for the next sixty years. When it’s not in use.”

“You’ve also got a way with words, for a cattle rancher,” Carolina sighed. “Along with other fine points.”

“Yeah?”

“Oh yeah! Big time!” She giggled as he kissed her quiet.

A flight attendant began, “Sir, would you care for—”

“Taylor, give ‘em a second,” another flight attendant advised, pushing a cart. One with big hair and a wide sunny smile, and she redirected the first, “This is Texas, gal. We stop for cattle and kissin’.”

Matt and Carolina laughed as someone in the seat behind them called out, “Amen to that!”