Disarming the Rancher Page 10

  There. She’d come out with it. He could do with it what he pleased.

  “I don’t need a whole lot of sleep, so that’s not a problem for me, but I saw you clamp down on no less than three yawns during dinner.” He caught her gaze and held it like he needed to see for himself she wasn’t too tired. “Are you sure about this?”

  “Never been more certain of anything in my life,” she said. “What do you say?”

  “As long as you’re always honest with me,” he said. “No secrets between us. I feel something for you that I haven’t felt in a long time but that doesn’t mean we have to act on it.”

  “Open communication between friends,” she said. “And, Brax, I can use a friend like you right now. Someone who is honest and honorable.”

  He waved her comment off.

  “It’s true,” she insisted.

  He didn’t answer verbally. Instead, he walked right past her and inside the room.

  This made her happy.

  Two steps inside the bedroom and she froze. “Wow. Okay, hold on. Why is there a sitting room in here?”

  “The en-suite bathroom is the best. You should check it out,” he said with mischief in his eye that she promised herself she would ignore.

  “Did you come to this place a lot growing up? This is my first time anywhere but the kitchen,” she admitted.

  “No. None of us did. The Marshall liked his privacy,” he said.

  “I’m sorry about your loss, Brax. I know he wasn’t easy to get to know, but he did hold the family together in a lot of ways,” she said.

  “He was a constant all right.” He took a seat on the sofa. “And, yes, he was difficult to get to know. I don’t really care how everything gets split so long as everyone can come to an agreement, which they need to do already and get this over with. There’s no good that can come out of tying up everyone’s assets in court. Or arguing until the cows come home.”

  “I can’t say he ever warmed up to me but he never seemed offended by me either,” she admitted. “Mostly, he kept his distance.”

  “Which is funny because Adam swears he heard the Marshall whistling your songs more times than he could count,” he said.

  “What about you?” She claimed the seat next to him, toed off her boots and put her feet up on the coffee table.

  “Whistle? Yeah, all the time.” He winked.

  It was just like him to dodge the real question. And she was beginning to realize how much she’d missed home.

  12

  Brax hadn’t stayed up all night for the joys of conversation with another person in his life. And yet, the sun was coming up and he and Raleigh hadn’t slept a wink.

  “People will be up and around soon,” he said.

  She stood up and opened the curtains wide. “Now I see why the Marshall had such a big house. So, he could check out this view from every room.”

  Brax joined her, standing shoulder to shoulder, and looking out at the land that was part of his soul.

  Her cell buzzed. She fished it out of her back pocket.

  “Look at that,” she said, blinking in disbelief. “Wade is on his way. Says he wants to walk me through the financials personally. He should be here by lunch.” She pulled up her inbox. “And there they are,” she said. “Hmph. What kind of magic does your phone have that mine doesn’t?”

  “Mine has a lawyer’s name and number. I’m guessing that’s what got Wade’s behind in gear,” he said, thinking it wasn’t a good sign her business manager wasn’t as responsive to her as he should be.

  “This is good. I can start getting my arms around what’s happening with the business side.” She stared at her phone like she half expected the message to self-destruct.

  “I’m going to go out on a limb here and say you need a new business manager.” Brax didn’t normally get in involved in other people’s business and this situation definitely qualified. Except how could he stand by when he feared she was getting ripped off?

  “While I have time off, it might be good to put some feelers out,” she said. She snapped her fingers. “I know. I have a superfan who runs my fan club. I can check with her to see if…”

  She shook her head.

  “No. That won’t work,” she said.

  “Yeah, it’s probably best to find someone independent. Better checks and balances that way. I can ask Manny for a recommendation,” he offered.

  “I’d like that a lot actually,” she said.

  Brax fired off a text thanking his lawyer for lighting a fire under Wade’s behind, and then asked for referrals. The response was an immediate thumbs up.

  He showed her the screen.

  “Well, now you’re just showing off.” She leaned into him. Contact sent another jolt of electricity racing through him. He probably should be used to it by now.

  “How about going downstairs for a cup of coffee?” He could use the boost.

  “Give me five minutes to freshen up,” she said.

  “Take your time.” He was in no hurry to share her despite a bone-deep need for caffeine.

  True to her word, she was ready in five. They headed downstairs together after a pitstop in his room to brush his teeth and wash his face. Halfway down, it occurred to him they were wearing the same clothes from last night. Would anyone notice?

  A couple of guys were sitting at the table, nursing coffees while chatting with Adam and Prudence. The baby was asleep in her mother’s arms. On occasion, Prudence beamed at the little girl.

  The image of Raleigh holding a newborn, correction, their newborn imprinted on his thoughts. He didn’t even want kids. Maybe some point way in the future. Way down the road. Not now. Not this soon.

  He performed a mental head slap as they strolled into the kitchen, hand in hand.

  A few eyebrows raised but conversation didn’t miss a beat.

  The coffee pot was full and smelled fresh. He grabbed two mugs as she went for the carafe. They worked like a well-oiled machine and when their fingers grazed, her emerald eyes sparkled.

  He tried not to think about how much it was going to hurt when the case was cleared and she walked out the door.

  Raleigh introduced him to the guys at the table; Buck, Jake, Willie, and Tim. As she finished another pair came downstairs. They were Randy and Hardy. Kenny joined them last, looking just as cranky as he had last night.

  “Good,” Raleigh said. “I’m glad everyone’s here.”

  She walked over to the table and sat down.

  “We need to have a conversation about Wade before he gets here later,” she said. “We’ll have a decision to make.”

  A look passed between Tim and Randy that Brax noted.

  Angel fussed, making the most adorable sounds.

  “That’s our cue.” Adam and Prudence stood up.

  “Don’t let us run you out of your own kitchen,” Raleigh said.

  “Not a problem. This little one needs some playroom time,” Prudence said as she gently bounced. She really was a natural with Angel. Hadn’t Adam said something about her not seeing herself as parent material either.

  Strange, Brax thought, because she stepped right in with Angel and had been amazing. If he didn’t know better, he’d say she was a natural.

  Then again, meeting the right person seemed to change Adam in all kinds of positive ways. Brax wouldn’t have pinned his brother as father material. Heck, Adam would have said so himself. He’d committed to a single life after having his heart broken. Funny how much a day could make a difference in someone’s life.

  There’d come a day very soon when Raleigh would leave. Brax had a feeling he’d remember that day for a long time to come.

  “I can check on—”

  “Why don’t you stick around?” Raleigh asked before Brax could finish his sentence.

  “Since when is he part of the band?” Kenny shot off as he poured a cup of coffee.

  “His lawyer is the reason I finally got the financial documents I’ve been requesting from Wade,” she quipped. “He’s also the reason Wade decided to show here. So, I’m inviting him to stick around.”

  She glanced at the faces around the table.

  “No one had a problem when Randy or Willie’s girlfriends came on the road with us,” she said. “They heard us write new songs.”

  “I don’t have a problem,” Tim said. The others echoed the same sentiment.

  Kenny stormed over and took a chair. “Then I guess I don’t either.”

  “Good. It’s settled,” she said.

  Brax stayed over by the coffee machine. He’d been sitting all night and his legs were sore.

  “Will he be coming on the road with us?” Kenny asked. The rim of his mug seemed to become real interesting to him.

  “If he wants to,” Raleigh fired back. She knew full well that wasn’t going to happen. Brax figured this was another way to tell Kenny nothing was going to happen between the two of them. Not now. Not in the future.

  And if her words didn’t convince him, the look she gave next would.

  Kenny tapped his fingers on the table like he was counting to ten.

  Brax remembered the look that had passed between Tim and Randy earlier when she mentioned the band needed to make a decision. Something was definitely up there.

  “Do you want us here?” Buck asked, motioning toward him and Jake.

  “Johnny on the Spot is a little too green to sit at the big boy table,” Kenny said.

  “Hey, lay off him,” Randy intervened.

  “What the matter?” Kenny taunted. “Afraid he can’t stand up for himself?”

  Kenny was a real jerk. He was also too self-absorbed and shallow to pull off the bomb threat. He moved down Brax’s suspect list a little further.

  He wanted to know what the look between
Randy and Tim was all about.

  “Guys, I know this is a stressful time and tempers are up here.” Raleigh held her flat hand as high as she could. “But if we bicker, it’ll only get worse. We’ve been through tough times and made it. We’ll figure this one out too.”

  A few heads bobbed in agreement. Kenny was the holdout, but he would come around. He was already at the angry phase. Last time he’d put his sights on her all she’d had to do was parade a date in front of him for him to get the hint. He was being a lot more stubborn now. This was a new side to him. She didn’t like it.

  “Most of us have been together fourteen years,” she continued. “This is the only family I have left, and I know it’s true for a couple of you.”

  Heads slowly nodded.

  “I think we should let Wade walk us through the books and explain himself before we put his head on the chopping block.” Kenny made a hand gesture of a knife smacking down on the table.

  “Okay. What does everyone else think? Is that how we want to move forward? Because I’m having a few problems with Wade that need to be brought out into the open,” she said.

  “For instance?” Kenny continued.

  “The fact he isn’t on tour with us half the time anymore,” she pointed out. “And then there’s my grandmother’s…my…place. He was supposed to be taking care of it. He knows how important that home is to me.” She shrugged. “You guys saw what shape it was in. I’m wondering what else is slipping through the cracks.”

  “My direct deposit hasn’t come through this month now that I think about it,” Willie said. He pulled up his bank account on his cell phone and showed it to her.

  “I haven’t even checked my accounts,” she admitted.

  Suddenly, everyone was on their phone.

  “No deposit on my account,” Buck said as Jake shook his head in agreement. The younger guy sat there with a sullen look on his face. Kenny was being hard on Jake again. She needed to figure out a way to put a stop to the harassment. Then again, Kenny had seemed unhappy for a while now. Maybe the band needed to call a meeting without him to discuss his future. She tabled the thought for now.

  Raleigh pulled out her cell and double-checked her account. “Nothing on mine either.”

  “It’s probably just an oversight,” Kenny defended. At this point, he would argue the sky was purple rather than admit to the fact it was blue and they didn’t have a chance to rekindle a flame that had burned out so very long ago. “People make mistakes.”

  Well, that was a loaded statement. So much for him catching on.

  “My wife is depending on that money,” Buck admitted.

  “We’ll get you paid.” At least, Raleigh prayed they would. She sought out Brax and exchanged a look.

  He nodded slightly and she would take the encouragement anywhere she could get it at the moment.

  “Wade sent over some numbers. I’ll get working on those,” she said.

  “The Marshall has an office you can use,” Brax stated and gave a little nod. He wanted to tell her something? Had he picked up on something she’d missed?

  “I’ll get working on figuring this out right now.” She fired off a text to Wade, asking for him to call her about the deposits.

  The bomb situation was awful. There was no getting around the fact. This was, however, giving her an opportunity to dig into a situation she’d been ignoring too long. As had the rest of the band. They wanted to play music and let the rest work itself out. The days of Sharon having their backs was over. They were long gone, in fact.

  “I’ll let you know as soon as I know anything,” she said to the group.

  “Please make yourselves at home,” Brax stated. “There’s food in the fridge and it gets restocked regularly. Don’t be afraid to take what you want.”

  “Much appreciated,” Buck said; the veteran of the group knew how to set a calming tone. Buck was irreplaceable. If she had to give him money from her personal account, she wouldn’t hesitate.

  Brax seemed anxious to get her out of the room. He didn’t feel threatened by Kenny, did he?

  She needed to make it very clear that Brax was her guy. He was her ‘friend’ if that was the right word. Considering the way her stomach fluttered every time he was near, she couldn’t pin him to that zone. But it was a start.

  The Marshall’s office was incredible. Not exactly her taste but it was definitely larger than her entire tour bus. There was a fireplace in the corner and a flat-screen TV mounted above the mantle. A desk practically the size of her nana’s kitchen anchored the room.

  “That’s a big chair to fill,” she said, in awe. She would feel like a five-year-old sitting in that massive leather thing.

  “You can work on one of the couches if you’d like, I just needed to get you alone for a second.” Brax’s comment sent those butterflies aflutter again. The sincere look in his eyes said this wasn’t a sexual comment.

  “What’s going on?” she asked.

  “You need to speak to Tim and Randy separately about Wade,” he informed.

  She must’ve made a face because he quickly added, “They exchanged a look when you said Wade’s name.”

  “Oh really?” That was news to her but then she’d been too busy deflecting Kenny to notice.

  “Twice,” he said. “There’s something on their minds that they aren’t saying.”

  “And now the direct deposit issue…” This wasn’t good. It was so not good. “I’ll talk to them.”

  “Try one-on-one, if you don’t mind the suggestion,” he said.

  “Okay.” She drained her coffee mug and then held it up. “Now is as good a time as any.”

  13

  Raleigh walked into the kitchen by herself to find everyone where she’d left them. The smell of bacon filled the air now. She walked over to a plate and asked if she could have a piece.

  “Applewood smoked bacon,” Buck said proudly. “Grab some scrambled eggs while you’re at it.”

  “This is amazing,” she said. “I’ll definitely be back for more.”

  Buck practically beamed. He’d never had a kitchen this size to work with before, and the man could cook.

  She walked over to Randy. “Hey, can I have a word with you?”

  Randy nodded.

  “Okay if we take a walk?” she asked. She’d be damned if he didn’t glance at Tim.

  Brax was right. Something was going on.

  “Sure thing.” Randy tried to come off as casual but the crack in his voice told a different story.

  She walked outside and he followed. Once they were far enough away from the house and any potential listening ears, she turned around.

  “I need you to level with me about Wade.” She came right out with it. This wasn’t an investigation where approach was everything. “Do you trust him?”

  Randy cracked a smile.

  “You always do come at a problem head on,” he said.

  “There’s no point in dancing around the subject.” Holding back wasn’t her style. Except when it came to men, an annoying little voice in the back of her mind pointed out. She shoved the thought aside, but it resonated.

  “Have you noticed the way he’s been acting lately?” Randy asked.

  “Stranger than normal?” The guy had always marched to his own drummer.

  “Nervous,” he said. “He’s not usually nervous. At first, I chalked it up to the pressure of the tour. Booking bigger venues. Our music and name have been picking up speed here lately.”

  “You don’t think that now?” She’d believed the same thing. The music scene had a real buzz about their recent material. There was a lot of anticipation, and pressure, on these next few releases.

  “Not since I overheard him talking on his cell phone. It sounded personal and like he was in some kind of trouble,” he said.

  “Why didn’t you come to me?” she asked.

  “Your name carries this band. What if I was wrong and got you worked up over nothing?” Randy’s question was sincere. It was obvious from the tension lines on his forehead he’d given this a lot of thought.

  “So, you talked to Tim instead,” she said quietly.

  “All I wanted to do was verify that I wasn’t going crazy before we brought it to your attention,” he admitted. “See if there was fire underneath all that smoke. Besides, I don’t make a habit of nosing around in other people’s business.”