Lassoed by Fortune

CHAPTER Sixteen


He hadn’t been in town since he and Julia had gone their separate ways and he had discovered what it felt like to have his heart burned out of his chest while he was still breathing.

Because he’d been holed up on his ranch, Liam hadn’t seen the sign he was standing in front of. The sign proclaiming this piece of land to be the “Future Home of The Hollows Cantina.”

Liam assumed that the word Cantina had to have been an afterthought since it was written just above the now crossed-out Brasserie. Apparently either Julia or the Mendozas had decided a more down-to-earth name for the restaurant was needed.

He supposed that was progress of a sort.

There were other things written in on the sign, things that had been inserted after the sign had been completed because they were written in rather than painted on. Like the words Grand Opening.

From what he could see, it was scheduled for a date two months in the future. On the left side of the sign were the words Now Hiring, which had to be a welcome sight for a number of people. Those were the ones who knew that ranching was not their true calling, but they still wanted to live in Horseback Hollow and earn a living. Jobs that didn’t involve ranching were scarce around here.

This new cantina would make them less so.

“Congratulations, Julia,” Liam murmured under his breath to the sign. “You did it. You got your restaurant.”

“You know, talking to yourself out in public might be viewed by some folks as a person losing his grip on reality.”

Liam didn’t have to turn around to know that his brother Jude was standing behind him. Seemed as if he couldn’t make a move without tripping over a relative, he thought in resignation.

“And sneaking up behind people is one surefire way to get the living daylights beaten out of them,” Liam commented as he slowly turned around to face Jude.

“Guess it’s lucky for me that you’re so even-tempered,” Jude joked.

“Yeah, lucky,” Liam repeated in a less than cheerful tone.

The next minute Jude was asking him eagerly, “Did you hear the news?”

He’d obviously heard it as well as seen it, given that he was standing in front of the sign boasting of it. “Yeah, the restaurant’s going up,” he answered Jude dourly.

For a second Jude stared at him, confused. The restaurant was not what he was referring to. “Well, yeah, that’s news, too,” Jude agreed even as he shrugged it off, “but it’s old news.”

“And you have ‘new’ news?” Liam asked with a touch of sarcasm.

In all honesty, Liam really wasn’t sure what he was doing here in town, or what he had hoped to accomplish by coming.

He supposed that, deep down, he was hoping to run into Julia and get a dialogue going between them. He missed her, damn it, missed the sound of her laughter, the way her eyes sparkled. The way her hair smelled.

It almost seemed impossible, given that they had only been anything remotely resembling “a couple” for little more than two weeks. And yet, when he was with her, he felt as if he had come home, that he was finally whole.


And without her, he wasn’t.

It was as simple as that and he could either make his peace with being without her—or do something about getting her back.

The latter wasn’t going to be easy and he knew it. For that reason, he secretly welcomed this unexpected distraction that Jude offered.

“Yeah, I do have ‘new’ news,” Jude told him, pleased that he knew something that Liam didn’t. “And it involves Toby.”

“What about him?” Liam was curious. And if it involved his other brother, why hadn’t Toby come over or called and told him about whatever it was himself? Liam could only think of one reason he hadn’t seen Toby. “Is he okay?”

Jude grinned and succeeded in annoying him even more than he already had. “Oh, he’s more than okay. He’s pretty damn happy and more than a damn sight relieved.”

Liam struggled to hold on to his patience. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on in bits and pieces or are you going to just come out and say it like any normal adult?”

Jude looked just a little put off by his attitude. “Anyone ever tell you that you’re no fun?”

“Yeah, lots of people,” Liam assured him. “Now talk,” he ordered, trying not to allow his concern to show through. “What’s going on with Toby?”

Jude did what he could to maintain an air of mystery about what he was revealing, doing so a layer at a time. “Well, somebody slipped an envelope under his door yesterday. It was full of money. A whole bunch of money.”

Liam stared at his brother, his expression becoming a deep frown. “From who?”

“That’s just the thing,” Jude told him, the excitement in his voice growing again. “There was a note but it wasn’t signed. It just said the cash was to help take care of the Hemings kids.”

“Had to be someone in town,” Liam assumed.

But Jude shook his head. “Toby really doesn’t think so.”

“Why?” There was only one reason for that, he realized. “Just how much money are we talking about?” When Jude told him, it was all Liam could do to keep his jaw from dropping. “You’re right,” he agreed. “Nobody around here has that kind of money to give away, no matter how good their intentions.”

“Nobody but the Fortunes,” Jude reminded him.

Liam banked down his automatic desire to dismiss the family because he didn’t think of them as altruistic. But of late he’d been learning more and more about the Fortunes and realizing that his preconceived notions regarding them were not just unfair, they were downright wrong.

“How does Toby feel about being on the receiving end of charity?” Liam asked. Toby had every bit as much pride as he did. He’d always liked earning his own way. “Is he resentful?”

“Resentful?” Jude repeated with a laugh. “Hell, no, he’s downright grateful. It’s for the kids, after all, not him. And Toby doesn’t see it as being charity so much as he sees it as being charitable.” Jude looked at him for a long moment.

Long enough for Liam to know that something was on Jude’s mind that the latter was chewing on. “You have something more to say?” he asked Jude.

“Yeah,” he said, picking out his words slowly, the way he might pick his path through a minefield. “Don’t you think it’s about time you got over your grudge—whatever started it—and accept Mom’s family? You know that Mom has. And even Dad finally has, in a way. You’re the family holdout.”

Shoving his hands into his back pockets, Liam sighed. Ordinarily he wouldn’t have cared about being the lone holdout. But he couldn’t do it if he’d been wrong to begin with. “Yeah, I guess they really are good people, after all.”

“So,” Jude began, humor dancing in his eyes, “you don’t want to tar and feather them and run them out of town anymore?”

Liam shrugged, doing his best to keep a straight face. “I guess we can hold off on that for a while, seeing as how they are family and all.”

“There’s that generous soul of yours, coming through again.” Jude pretended to marvel as he slapped him on the back. “Well, I’ll let Mom know. Your change of heart will make her very happy.”

“You do that,” Liam murmured. “There been any takers?” he asked his brother, switching gears out of the blue.

“What?” Jude stared at him in confusion. “What kind of takers?”

Liam nodded toward the sign. “You know if anyone’s applied for a job yet?”

“Why, you looking to branch out?” Jude teased.

The scowl that came over Liam’s face had his brother backing off. “Just wondering, that’s all,” Liam said flatly.

“Why don’t you go and ask Julia about it?” Jude suggested innocently. “She’d be the one to know.” His eyes narrowed as he looked at his brother intently. The truth came to him riding on a lightning bolt. “You haven’t gone to see her yet, have you?”

“I’ve been busy,” Liam answered, a vague, dismissive shrug punctuating his reply.

It was Jude’s turn to shake his head in absolute wonder.

“You’re my older brother, Liam, and I’ve always looked up to you. I know you don’t exactly welcome advice, but you’re selling yourself a bill of goods if you think you can use that excuse indefinitely.”

“You’re right.” Liam turned to look at his younger brother. “I don’t welcome advice.”

And with that, he got into his truck and drove back to his ranch instead of toward the Superette the way he had initially intended when he had driven into town.

It wasn’t that he had lost his nerve—exactly, he told himself—it was just that he realized he still hadn’t found the right words to use in framing his apology. He didn’t want to come across as either a sap or some gutless, spineless cowboy.

And even though he missed her like crazy, he wasn’t about to go crawling to her, either. For one thing, she wouldn’t respect him if he did. For another, he wouldn’t respect himself, either, and once respect was gone, there was nothing left.

So he went home, to stare at his phone and mull over his situation.

When he did finally pick up the receiver, it wasn’t Julia that he called but her future boss. Marcos Mendoza.

The latter was surprised to hear from Liam and even more surprised to hear the reason for Liam’s unexpected phone call.

“You want to reserve two tables for the restaurant’s grand opening?” Marcos questioned as if he was fairly sure he hadn’t heard correctly.

But he had.

“That’s what I said. Two,” Liam confirmed.

“You do know that we’re not opening for another two months, right?” He obviously thought the reservations were a bit premature, since the building hadn’t even gone up yet. But Liam always liked being two steps ahead of everything.

“Yeah, I know,” Liam answered.

Marcos quoted a cover charge and Liam remained unfazed, saying that was fine with him.

“Okay, consider them reserved,” Marcos assured him.

Liam gave him all the particulars Marcos required—phone number, name, etc.—and then hung up.

And crossed his fingers.

* * *

“Two tables?” Julia questioned when Marcos called her about the reservation a few minutes later. “You sure it was Liam and not one of his brothers?”


“I’m sure. I verified it twice,” he added. “You’re off to a really good start, Julia,” Marcos told her. He was obviously very pleased. “I just wanted to let you know,” he concluded.

Julia thanked him as she hung up, more than a little stunned.

Had she misjudged Liam, after all? She needed to untangle this before it made her crazy.

“Mom,” she announced, taking her coverall apron off and leaving it bunched up beneath the counter. “I’ve got to take off for a couple of hours. Think you can cover for me?”

“If I can’t, I’m gonna have to learn, sweetie,” Annie told her, patting her daughter’s face. “Go, do what you have to do,” she told her, all but shooing her out of the store.

Julia was out of the Superette and in her SUV within five minutes of hanging up with Marcos. Her destination was Liam’s ranch, to corner the lion in his den to find out what sort of games he was playing now. Or had he changed his mind, after all?

She knew what she wanted more than anything was for Liam to come around, to have him on her side and wishing her well in this brand-new, exciting venture she was undertaking. Because, despite the fact that this was what she really wanted to do, she couldn’t pretend that she wasn’t exceedingly nervous about undertaking this project. Assistant manager of the first real restaurant in Horseback Hollow was a huge amount of responsibility, no matter how clear-eyed she was about the benefits of the venture.

Her hands were damp as she clutched the steering wheel and drove a little faster than was her custom to Liam’s ranch. She was going to have it out with him once and for all. One way or another, this was all going to get resolved.

Today.

Her heart was pounding madly by the time she pulled up in his driveway. The thought had also occurred to her less than five minutes ago that he might not even be at the house. After all, he could be breaking in a horse, repairing a length of fence—perhaps even out somewhere, finding a new companion for his bed.

The last thought succeeded in making her stomach flip over and churn wildly, which in turn made her nauseous.

This was not the way she wanted to feel when she finally saw Liam for the first time in more than a week.

Searching for courage, Julia raised her hand to knock on the door only to drop it before her knuckles touched the wood. Not once, but twice.

The third time, she succeeded in making contact with the door. There was no answer. Taking a deep breath, she knocked again, harder this time.

There was still no answer.

Frustrated, she tried again, all but pounding on the door.

“Maybe I’m not home.”

Julia jumped, stifling a scream with her hands over her mouth as she swung around. That deep voice seemed to echo all around her.

“Liam!” she cried breathlessly, her heart leaping up into her throat. She dug her fingernails into her palms, trying to force herself to calm down.

Liam cocked his head and looked at her. “I take it that you weren’t expecting me.”