Always (The Protectors Book 3), Page 2

  “I miss them, too.” John’s voice broke as he hugged Grant. “They died together, doing what they loved. There was nothing anyone could have done about the avalanche.”

  “I could have spent more time with them. When I came home from Afghanistan, I deliberately stayed away. Mom tried calling me, but I ignored her messages.”

  “She called because she loved you. It didn’t matter that you didn’t talk to her.” John handed him a box of tissues. “Mom read every book she could find about post-traumatic stress disorder. Dad used to sit beside her, asking questions. You couldn’t have been more loved. As soon as you were ready, they knew you would come home.”

  Grant wiped his eyes. For a long time, his mom and step-dad’s death had burned like hot acid on wounds that he didn’t know how to heal.

  “Mom and dad were proud of you.”

  Grant sighed. “While I was at the debrief I thought about them—about their marriage and what they did for us. I want what they had.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Mom and dad were happy. Even when they disagreed about something they were always there for each other.”

  “You can find that, too.”

  Grant leaned his elbows on the counter. “I’m thirty-nine years old. I keep thinking my life’s going to get better, that one day I’ll wake up and everything I’ve ever wanted will be right in front of me.”

  “Apart from having half a dozen children, what do you want?”

  “I want everything that goes before that.”

  “There’s no point waiting for the woman of your dreams to walk through the door. You’ve got to go out and meet people.”

  “I live on a cattle ranch in the middle of nowhere.”

  John smiled. “It’s not that bad.”

  “It is. Not only does the woman of my dreams have to put up with me, but she has to enjoy living away from everyone else. If you’re not used to ranch life it can be the loneliest place on earth.”

  “The ranch is only ninety minutes out of town. It’s not exactly the end of the world.”

  “It is if you have your own career or want a life surrounded by people.”

  “It can still happen. Look at Rachel and me,” John said. “I never thought I’d fall in love again. But sometimes, a chance meeting can make more sense than anything you’ve ever done. What are you doing to find the woman of your dreams?”

  “In between fixing fences, feeding cattle, and making sure the ranch runs smoothly—nothing.”

  “There’s your problem. You need to socialize. Come with me to Charlie’s Bar and Grill tonight. Tanner wants to get together before he heads to Argentina.”

  “Why are you sending him there?”

  “A client needs a bodyguard for a few days.”

  “Has this got anything to do with the person you’re annoying?” Grant asked.

  “Maybe.”

  “Will Tanner be okay on his own?”

  “He won’t be on his own.” John held his coffee cup in the air. “Here’s to finding happiness.”

  Grant clinked his mug against his brother’s. “And to families and friends.”

  As they sipped their coffee, Grant thought about Sonia and his mom and dad. If there was anything he’d learned today, it was that life was too short for regrets.

  It was time to take some chances. It was time to find his happy-ever-after.

  ***

  Bella ran into the house with Milo yapping at her heels. “We’re here, dad!”

  John left his mug on the counter. “Do you think I should get Rachel?”

  Grant laughed. “It doesn’t sound as though you’ve got time.”

  Within seconds, the doors opened and a group of excited girls came into the living room.

  “Uncle Grant!”

  Bella’s beaming smile lightened his heart and made him glad he’d come to Emerald Lake.

  “I thought that was your truck parked out front. These are my friends.”

  Grant gave the girls a wave. “Hi, everyone.”

  A chorus of hellos filled the room.

  He searched for his brother, wondering if he’d gone upstairs to get Rachel in their hour of need.

  John appeared from behind the pantry doors and Grant sighed.

  “Who would like a hot chocolate?”

  A resounding reply of yesses rang out across the kitchen.

  Before Grant knew what was happening, John left a pile of chocolate capsules beside him.

  “You’re on hot chocolate duty—I’ll get the cookies organized.”

  For Christmas, Rachel had bought her husband a state-of-the-art espresso machine that doubled as an impressive hot chocolate maker. They’d tried out every flavored pod, but in Grant’s humble opinion, the hot chocolate was the best.

  “Where’s Mallory?” John asked Bella as he slid a plate of cookies onto the dining table.

  “She’s outside with Aimee and Zoe. They’re learning how to do a backward chassé.”

  “Sounds difficult.”

  Bella nodded. “It is. You have to skate backward and push one leg out in front of you. Then you bring your feet together and lift your other leg a little bit off the ice. I keep getting confused.”

  Natasha shared a cookie with Bella. “You’re a great figure skater. I bet you could do a backward chassé soon.”

  Bella gave her friend a hug.

  The unfailing loyalty between the two girls made Grant smile. He passed the first hot chocolate to Natasha. Anyone who made his niece feel good was worth the first drink of the afternoon.

  “So, Natasha, what do you like doing the most in your ice skating class?”

  Natasha put her finger on her chin.

  She was concentrating so hard that Grant wondered if he’d made a mistake in asking her.

  “Well...I like doing backward crossovers and bunny hops. Did you know that Miss Fraser is the most amazing teacher? She knows how to do a triple Salchow.”

  Grant had no idea what Natasha was talking about, but she seemed so excited that he didn’t have the heart to ask what it was. “Wow, that sounds impressive.”

  “She can do a Lutz, too,” Bella added. “She can’t show us some of the moves because she’s got a sore back, but she knows everything about skating.”

  He passed another two mugs of hot chocolate to Bella’s teammates. Judging by the amount of head-nodding going on, Miss Fraser had made an impression on her students.

  John handed him some fresh milk to add to the machine. “I’ve pre-warmed it to speed up the process.”

  Grant looked at the line of girls waiting patiently. “Good idea.”

  He felt like a barista as he poked hot chocolate capsules into the machine, refilled the milk container, and handed each girl a frothy concoction that made them smile.

  By the time he’d reached the end of the line, everyone was sitting in the living room, munching cookies and talking about their upcoming performance.

  “Zoe’s mom bought her pink glitter eye shadow,” Bella said in awe. “It will match her dress.”

  Another girl started telling everyone about how she was going to braid her hair.

  Grant’s eyebrows rose when they started talking about foundation, lip liner, and mascara.

  He glanced at his brother and John smiled back.

  Grant had no idea nine-year-old girls were so interested in makeup. He almost laughed when they started talking about puppies. Maybe their childhood wasn’t lost after all.

  While Milo entertained the girls with his doggie tricks, Grant wandered across to the windows overlooking Emerald Lake.

  A woman with blond hair was standing on the ice while two girls skated around her.

  Something about the way she moved made Grant’s breath catch in his throat.

  His brother stood beside him. “We’re lucky she’s here.”

  “She’s not from Bozeman.” Grant was sure he would have remembered her if they’d gone to the same school or even passed each other on the stre
et.

  “Mallory’s been living in Bozeman for about a year. She’s from Orlando.”

  “Land of theme parks and roller coasters,” he murmured. “Montana is about as opposite to Florida as you can get. Why did she move here?”

  John shrugged his shoulders.

  Grant knew when his brother was being evasive. “Why won’t you tell me?”

  “Because it’s not my business. You could ask her yourself when she comes inside.”

  After what had happened this morning, the last thing he felt like doing was meeting Mallory. Making hot chocolate for nine-year-olds was about as social as he could manage at the moment.

  “Mallory will have to remain a mystery. I’d better head home. My tractor isn’t going to fix itself.”

  “At least come to Charlie’s Bar and Grill tonight. You don’t have to stay for long.”

  Grant thought about the promise he’d made to himself. “What time are you leaving Emerald Lake?”

  “No later than six o’clock, maybe a bit earlier.”

  “I’ll pick you up on my way through. Thanks for listening.”

  “It’s what little brothers are for. I’ll see you later.”

  On his way out of the living room, Grant gave Bella a hug and said goodbye to her excited friends. “I’ll be back tonight.”

  Bella hugged him tight. “For dinner?”

  “Not tonight. Your dad and I are heading into town.”

  Bella’s chin tilted at the same determined angle her dad’s did when he wasn’t happy. “When are you coming for dinner, Uncle Grant? You weren’t able to come last week or the week before.”

  “I don’t want to make a nuisance of myself. Rachel and your dad have only been married for six weeks.”

  “You’re not a nuisance. We’re family.”

  Grant hugged her close. Bella’s biological mom had died when she was a toddler. Spending as much time as he could with her and John was important to him. Between the three of them, they’d been closer than most families were.

  All they’d had was each other, and for most of the time, that was enough. Their lives had all changed when John had met Rachel.

  He kissed the top of Bella’s head. “I’ll call Rachel and see what day suits her for dinner.”

  “Okay, but don’t forget.”

  Grant smiled. “I won’t. See you later.”

  Bella went back to her friends and Grant let himself out of the house. He took a deep breath as he listened to the girls’ excited giggles.

  From today, he was going to do everything he could to find the woman of his dreams. But before he worked on his heart he had a tractor to overhaul—and he knew which one would be easier to fix.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Mallory opened a box containing six ceramic dogs. She held one up to the light in her friend’s antiques store and frowned. “Do people really buy things like this?”

  Kelly Harris poked her head out from under a table. “They’ll go like hotcakes. I’ve already had an email from one of my regular customers.”

  Seven weeks ago, Kelly’s original store had almost been destroyed in an electrical fire. She’d leased a new retail space from her fiancé, Tanner, and renamed her store Kelly’s Antiques and Collectibles.

  “Anything from the mid-twentieth century is always popular. The dogs are Staffordshire porcelain and will sell for between one and two hundred dollars each.” Kelly wiggled free of the table. “That should do it. What do you think?

  Mallory slid the box of dogs onto the front counter and studied the display. Twinkling fairy lights wove around a white metal frame. Hanging from each ‘branch’ were the designer necklaces Kelly made.

  “I like it. It’s simple and elegant.”

  “You don’t think it’s too blingy?”

  Mallory smiled. “You can never have too much bling.” She looked around the store, admiring everything Kelly, her family, and Tanner had achieved. They’d spent hours making sure everything was perfect. From the black, wrought iron shelves to the gilt-framed mirrors, the store was an Aladdin’s cave of treasures.

  She took the box of porcelain dogs to a cabinet and unpacked the precious cargo. “What else do we need to do?”

  “You’ve already done so much. Avery would have stayed after five today, but she had an exam.”

  “I don’t mind giving you a hand. It helps me de-stress after working in the hospital.”

  “Are you still enjoying working there?”

  “I am. It’s different to the physical therapy department in Orlando but just as good. My patients are lovely.”

  Kelly tilted her head to the side. “You seem tired. Is everything okay?”

  “There’s a lot happening.”

  “You always have a lot happening, but it doesn’t leave black rings under your eyes.”

  Mallory swallowed the lump in her throat. Kelly knew about her past, but not the whole sorry tale that hit the headlines after her accident. “I haven’t been sleeping all that well. Last Saturday was the second anniversary of Simon’s death.”

  “Oh, Mallory. I’m sorry—I didn’t realize.”

  She hugged the empty cardboard box to her chest. “I’m okay most of the time, but for some reason, the last couple of days have been really hard.”

  Kelly rubbed her arm. “Is there anything I can do?”

  “If you could help me get a good night’s sleep it would be bliss. I haven’t slept through the night for weeks.”

  “I can’t help with that, but we could do something to take your mind off what happened. Come out with Tanner and me tonight.”

  Mallory couldn’t think of anything worse. “I’ll be a third wheel.”

  “No, you won’t. Tanner has invited a few friends to Charlie’s Bar and Grill before he leaves on an assignment. Come with us—Tess and Logan, and Rachel and John will be there. It will be fun.”

  “I don’t know, Kelly. I’m not good company at the moment.”

  “You don’t have to stay for very long. It might take your mind off what happened.”

  Mallory sighed. “Okay. I’ll come for a little while. What time are you meeting everyone?”

  “Six-thirty. Don’t have dinner beforehand—we’ll order something there.”

  She glanced at her watch. Charlie’s Bar and Grill wasn’t overly dressy, but she needed to change out of her work clothes. “I’ll need to go home if I’m going to be ready by six-thirty.”

  Kelly took the box out of her hands. “Go. I can finish up in here. I’ll see you at Charlie’s.”

  Mallory gave her a quick hug. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. See you soon.”

  As Mallory made her way along the icy sidewalk she thought about the last twelve months. If she hadn’t visited her cousin, Tess, she wouldn’t have made Bozeman her home. And regardless of what was happening at the moment, she couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.

  All she had to do was figure out how to get a good night’s sleep and everything would be perfect.

  ***

  Grant followed his brother across the street to Charlie’s Bar and Grill. From the moment they’d hit town he’d begun to have second thoughts about being here.

  Trucks lined the street and music tumbled onto the sidewalk. Even the lights wrapped around the front windows couldn’t brighten his mood.

  John frowned. “Are you all right?”

  “I don’t know if this is a good idea.”

  His brother pulled him to one side of the wide entranceway. “I know you’ve had a rough day. Just enjoy tonight for what it is.”

  “Are you sure Tanner won’t mind me being here?”

  “Positive. Come on, everyone’s waiting.” John held open the door.

  “Someone taught you good manners,” Grant muttered.

  “I’m on my best behavior.”

  “Why?”

  “I’ve registered both of us in the Ultra Snowmobile Race. It wouldn’t look good if I left you to freeze on the sidewalk.”


  “You’ve done what?” Grant raised his voice over the sound of the jukebox.

  “Did I forget to tell you? It’s part of the Winter Festival.”

  “It’s three weeks away. How could you have forgotten?”

  “I’m getting old. It must have slipped my mind.”

  Grant unzipped his jacket. “There’s nothing wrong with your memory. How did you know I wouldn’t be doing something else that weekend?”

  “You haven’t done ‘something else’ for a long time. It didn’t take much to figure out you’d be home.”

  “Where’s the race?”

  “We’re competing on the Buck Ridge Trail. I’ll email you the details.”

  “Is there anything else you haven’t told me?”

  “Not that I can think of, but I’m working on other opportunities for your social development.”

  Grant pulled his brother out of the way as someone opened the doors to the bar. “I can organize my own life.”

  “And look where that’s gotten you.” John smiled at the woman walking past them. “Hi, Mallory.”

  Grant’s mouth dropped open. This was Bella’s skating coach? With her long blond hair, crystal blue eyes, and full, kiss-me-quick lips, she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.

  “Hi, John. Where’s Rachel?”

  “She came with Tess and Logan. There was a last-minute emergency at The Bridesmaids Club.”

  “Is everything okay?”

  John shrugged. “Someone’s getting married on Saturday and their bridesmaids’ dresses have gone missing. Rachel and Tess are helping the bride choose different dresses in case the originals are gone for good.”

  “I hope they find something to wear.” Mallory’s eyes moved to Grant.

  He stared at her in stunned silence.

  John cleared his throat. “Mallory Fraser, meet my brother, Grant Byers.”

  Grant stuck out his hand. “Hi.”

  Her shy smile hit him in the chest, wrapped around his heart, and sent an arrow of longing to the deepest, darkest place of who he was.

  “Hi, Grant. I’m teaching Bella how to figure skate.”

  “I know.”

  Mallory raised her eyebrows, waiting for him to say something else.

  All he could think about was how incredible she was. He pulled his gaze away, hoping his brother would help him fill the awkward void where his brain used to be.