Brody (2 page)

“I understand.
You probably won’t since he’s on nights. During the day, he’ll be sleeping and
when he’s off, he’ll be at the ranch, cleaning it up.”

“He’s
staying out there? He always said he hated it.”

“He
hated it because he felt he was stuck there for years before he joined the
Marshals.” Sam shrugged. “He was young and wanted out. We all did.”

“I
know.” Madilyn was trying her best not break down. How could she face him
again? Clifton was a small town and everyone knew everyone else’s business. She
was sure they all remembered the night Brody Morgan left her.

Sam
hugged her. “It’ll be all right. It was a long time ago, Madilyn.”

She
nodded and watched Sam stroll away. He didn’t understand. No one did. Madilyn
Young would forever love Brody Morgan. He’d taken her virginity and her heart.
Madilyn thought back to the night he told her he was joining the U S Marshals.

“No.
Brody, please.
You can’t,” Madilyn pleaded.

“It’s
what I want to do. After listening to Sam talk about it, it’s what I want to
do,” Brody repeated emphatically.

“You
know how I feel about law enforcement. I’m scared to death you’ll be killed
like my dad was.”

“I’m
already in law enforcement. Your dad let down his guard and you know it. I
won’t do that.” Brody tried to take her hand, she jerked back from him.

“It
doesn’t matter if he let his guard down or not. He died in the line of duty and
you could too. You know I hate that you still work for the Police department.
Brody, please.
Don’t do this to me. You said you loved me.”
Madilyn’s tears rolled down her face.

“Baby,
please don’t cry. I do love you. Come with me, Maddie.”

 
“No! I will not go with you and watch you
die. Being in the Marshals is too dangerous,” she shouted.

 
Brody stared at her. “You’re going to
throw away what we have?”

“No.
You are.” Madilyn moved away from him. “If you leave I will never forgive you.
Do you hear me, Brody Morgan? I will
never
forgive you,” she yelled.

“I
won’t be back, Madilyn. Once I leave, it’s over for us unless you come with
me.”

Madilyn
shook her head. “I won’t go with you.” She wiped tears away. “I will never
forgive you. You know how I feel about it.”

Brody
strode to his bike. “I guess you’ll never forgive me then.” He put his helmet
on, started his bike, and roared off into the night.

Now he
was back. She would never get the image of him riding
away
out of her mind. She’d been twenty-two and he’d been twenty-seven. Brody went
to college and obtained a Bachelor’s Degree, then worked for four years in the
local Police Department with Madilyn’s father. Arthur Young pulled a speeder
over from out of state and the man shot Arthur for no reason other than being
angry about it. It had torn Madilyn apart. Her mother had died when she was
five years old. Her father was all she had until Brody came into her life. She pleaded
with Brody to leave the department but she never dreamed he’d accept a position
with the Marshals. Sam had joined the Marshals right after college, and once
Brody talked with him, he’d made the decision to join them too.

Madilyn
put her hands over her face. How could she face him? The time would come when
she’d see him. There was no doubt in her mind about it. They would run into
each other. Maybe in the five years he’d been gone, he’d gotten ugly and fat.
She grunted. Brody had always taken care of his body. She groaned.
God!
What a body he’d had.
Solid
pecs
, hard biceps, and a six-pack
stomach.
Madilyn had loved his thick black hair and brown eyes. She even
loved seeing him wear his glasses. He didn’t wear them often but when he did,
he looked so sexy, and she wasn’t the only woman to think that way. The women
in town thought it looked sexy too. But he’d loved Madilyn and told her he
wanted to marry her. Until the night he informed her he was joining the
Marshals in Butte.

Madilyn
moved to the door and locked it. She then counted the money and took care of
the credit card receipts. When she was done, she locked up and walked home. Her
apartment sat in the new complex two blocks from the shop. Her heart stopped
when she heard the roar of a motorcycle coming toward her and she sighed with
relief when it rode on past her. Her relief was short-lived, however, when she
heard it coming back up behind her. Madilyn refused to glance back. The bike
roared by her, turned around in the middle of the street, and came back toward
her. It pulled in front of her on the sidewalk. She stopped and held her breath
as the rider removed his helmet. Madilyn bit her lip to hold back a groan when
she saw his gorgeous face. Brody Morgan hadn’t gotten worse with age. He’d gotten
better. The maturity in his face made him sexier. The crow’s feet at the
corners of his eyes were even sexy. Those brown eyes stared at her from behind
his glasses.

“Hello
Madilyn,” he said softly.

A
shiver shot through her. His voice seemed deeper. Taking a deep breath, she
stared at him.

“Hello
Brody.” Then she strolled around his bike and continued down the sidewalk.

* * *
*

Brody
watched her walk away from him. Damn, she looked good. She was even more
beautiful than before.
Madilyn was a tall, gorgeous redhead with
porcelain skin.
Thick, lush eyelashes surrounding light green
luminous eyes.
He’d always loved those eyes and her light red hair. She
had the temper to go with it. Brody watched her disappear into the apartment
complex. Firing up the bike, he headed home. Why he turned around and rode back
to her was anyone’s guess. He’d thought he was seeing things when he rode down
the street and spotted her. Brody should have just kept going. All seeing
her
again did was make him realize how much he still loved
her. The time would come when they’d have to talk and he wasn’t looking forward
to it.

 
When Brody
pulled up to the house, he stayed seated on the bike and glanced around, taking
it all in. The two red barns were still in good condition but the small hay
barn looked as if a gust of wind would topple it. The grass in the front yard
of the house was tall and the rose bushes his mother had meticulously cared for
were growing out of control. There were so many memories rushing back to him.
Horses used to fill the now empty corrals and the thousand acres of pasture had
been filled with the best Angus beef money could buy. His gaze swept to the
hayloft where he and Madilyn would sneak to make love. How many times had they
made love there?

 
Brody’s parents
loved her as if she was their own and she’d loved them in return. Swinging his
leg over the bike, he strode to the back door and unlocked it with the key his
mother had sent him. The musty smell made him wrinkle his nose as he entered
the kitchen. His parents really should have hired someone to take care of the
place since they refused to sell it. Brody went to the window above the sink
and opened it. A light breeze moved the sheer curtains. His gaze ran the room.
A sheet covered the center island. The copper pots and pans above it hung
covered with dust. Dust coated the red countertops and the white cupboards
looked dull. The white appliances also lacked luster. Cherry hardwood floors no
longer gleamed. Brody’s mother had kept them glowing. It would shock her to see
them now. Taking a deep breath, he headed down the hallway to the living room.
All of the furniture had sheets over it. He walked toward the fireplace,
squatted down, looked up the flue, and sighed. Thank God, the damper remained
closed. That’s all he would need is bats coming in. Striding to the windows, he
drew the drapes open to let the sunlight pour in. Dust motes danced in the
beams. He pulled the sheets down from the two windows on each side of the
fireplace and started to cough when the dust floated down to him. Pulling the
sheet off the couch, he took a seat. It was going to take a while to get it
cleaned up and he would need to build a new hay barn if he was serious about
getting beef again. He had the money to do it and his parents were all for it.
He remembered the conversation with them two weeks ago.

“Will you eventually tell us what happened?” his mother
asked.

“One day, mom.
Not just yet.”

“Does Sam know?” His dad wanted to know.

Brody sighed.
“No, dad.
Not yet.”

“You’ll stay at the ranch.” It wasn’t a question from his
mother but more of a demand.

Brody chuckled. “Yes. I wouldn’t mind getting it up and
running again.”

His dad laughed. “Well, if you do, we’d be more than happy
to let you.”

“We’ll give you the ranch, Brody,” his mother said softly.

“What? What do you mean? It’s your ranch.”

“No, son.
Not anymore. We have no
desire to go back there. We love traveling and if we settle down, it’s going to
be somewhere a lot warmer than Montana in the winter,” Brody’s dad told him.

“I’d take great care of it,” Brody promised.

“We know you would but you would have to stay. No running
off again,” his mother scolded.

Brody clenched his jaw. “I didn’t ‘run off’ mom. I joined
the Marshals.”

“Yes but you left the girl you loved behind. You need to
settle down, Brody and if you want the ranch, it’s yours but only if you agree
to stay.
Promise.”

Brody hesitated. Could he stay? He’d always loved working
the ranch until he got older, then he’d wanted out of Clifton but now, he had a
chance to have the ranch and make it work. “I promise mom, dad. Of course, I’ll
stay and take care of it.”

They continued to talk about the ranch and sending him the
deed for it and then hung up. Brody still couldn’t believe they’d given him the
ranch. It was actually his now and he was looking forward to buying some Angus.
He’d wait until he could get a weekend off, then he’d go to an auction and buy
his cattle.

 
Brody stood and
headed down the hallway. He stopped at all five bedrooms to take sheets off the
furniture and open windows. The entire house had cherry hardwood floors, which
all needed to be cleaned, but he’d get to it. Entering his parents’ old room,
he stripped the bed and put clean sheets on. This would be his room now. It was
a large room with a row of windows on one wall, a closet opposite and a
fireplace beside a door, which led to a large bathroom. Pushing the door open,
he entered the room and glanced around. The bathtub and shower only needed
wiped out so he went about cleaning them so he could shower and get some sleep
before starting work tomorrow night. He shook his head, he hated night shift.

Chapter Two

The next night, Brody was working with Mark Shaw. They drove
through the streets of town and headed for Dewey’s bar.

“We check Dewey’s out every night,” Mark told him. “It can
get a little rowdy, especially on a Friday night.” They drove through the
parking lot. “It looks like it’s packed tonight.”

“Do we go in or just cruise around?” Brody asked.

 
Mark glanced
over and grinned. “We go in. Odds are someone’s pissed at someone else.”

Brody grumbled. “You’re probably right.”

Mark parked the cruiser and they strolled inside. The place
was wall-to-wall people. Brody and Mark weaved their way through the crowd. No
one seemed to care about them being there. Mark signaled for Brody to head in
the opposite direction. Brody nodded and made his way through the crowd. He
came to a halt when a woman stepped in front of him.

“Brody Morgan.” The raven-haired beauty smiled up at him. He
drew a blank.

He grinned. “You have me at a disadvantage.”

“Brianna Porter.” She grinned at him.

“Brianna? Tom’s little sister?” His gaze roamed down over
her.

Brianna laughed. “Yes. It’s me. I’ve grown up. The last time
you saw me, I was sixteen.”

Brody grinned. “Well, you’ve certainly gotten more
beautiful.”

Brianna laughed as she rubbed her hand up and down his arm.
“And you’ve gotten more gorgeous.”

Brody chuckled. “I’m working, hon.”

She poked her bottom lip out. “What time do you…get off?”

Brody almost groaned. It had been a while since he’d had sex
and she was clearly offering.
“Seven tomorrow morning.”

Brianna shrugged. “Want my number? I wouldn’t mind if you
stopped by on your way home tomorrow morning.”

Brody started to answer her when a fight broke out. After
giving her an apologetic grin, he headed toward the fight. Mark got there at
the same time. Brody grabbed one of the men and Mark grabbed the other. They
pulled them apart. One of them swung at Brody, clipping his shoulder. Brody
slammed the man down on the table and handcuffed him then pulled him up and
read him his rights. The other man punched Mark in the face, making Mark let
go. The man then pulled a knife. Everyone jumped back.

“Put the knife away, Carl,” Mark insisted as he rubbed his
sore jaw.

“So you can take me to jail? I don’t think so Shaw,” Carl
slurred.

“You’re going to jail any way you put it.” Mark grinned.

Carl swung the knife in a wide arc. Brody pushed the man he
had handcuffed down into a chair and leaned over him. “Do not move. You
understand?” The man nodded. Brody moved to the side of Carl.
Opposite of Mark.

“Put the knife down, Carl,” Brody quietly said.

“Brody?
What the hell are you doing
here?” Carl slurred his words.

“I’m a deputy now and we’re going to take you and your friend
in.”

Carl laughed. “Mr. Big Shot U S Marshal is a
deputy
now. That’s rich.”

Brody flattened his lips into a thin line and clenched his
jaw. “I’m still an officer of the law and I can either take you in or shoot
you.” He shrugged. “It doesn’t matter to me which it is.”

Carl’s eyes widened as he glanced at Mark, who grinned at
him. “I’m with Brody on this one.”

Brody
could see the fight going out of Carl and as soon as he had the chance, Brody
jumped him. Mark charged at Carl, too. They both took him down. When they stood
up with him, the crowd cheered. Brody and Mark shook their heads. Mark took
care of Carl while Brody lifted the other man from the chair.

“My
wife’s
gonna
kill me,” the man muttered.

As
Brody was hauling him toward the door, Brianna stepped in front of him and put
a slip of paper in his pocket.

 
“Call me. I don’t care what time it is.”
She smiled at him.

Brody
nodded and moved out the door and shoved the man into the back of the cruiser
and got into the front seat. He took a deep breath and let it out. Mark got in
and they rode to the Sheriff’s department. The two men in the back seat sat
silent.

* * *
*

 
Madilyn was a wreck. Since seeing Brody
yesterday, she was literally a wreck. Tears threatened to fall and it was
taking everything she had not to let them. Why had he come back? After leaving
her to work in Butte, why had he come back? She put her hands over her face and
let the tears fall. How was she going to be in the same town with him? Was he
staying or was it just a stop on his way to somewhere else? Madilyn jerked when
her phone rang. Picking it up, she mentally groaned when she heard Zach’s
voice.

“How
about dinner later, Madilyn?”
Zach Johnson asked.

Madilyn
wanted to say no but she liked Zach and he was a nice man, a man in love with
her, wanted to marry her, and knew all about her past with Brody.

“That
sounds nice.” She tried to sound enthused but she didn’t fool him.

Zach
sighed. “You know he’s back, don’t you?”

“Yes…I’m
fine, Zach. I’d love to go to dinner with you.”

“I’ll
pick you up at seven. No need to dress up, we’ll just hit the diner.”

 
Madilyn agreed and disconnected the call.
Would she ever get to the point where she’d love another man? Would another man
ever make her forget Brody? She and Zach had been dating for almost a year but
she wasn’t in love with him. She hadn’t been able to bring herself to go to bed
with him. He didn’t pressure her, but she knew he wanted to take her to bed. He
wanted sex and it amazed Madilyn he kept waiting on her. She couldn’t do it. She
hadn’t had sex with anyone since Brody, and Zach deserved so much better. A
woman to love him, not to use him as a substitute for a man she couldn’t have.
There was no doubt in Madilyn’s mind, if she let Brody know she wanted him he’d
be there, but she didn’t want to fall into his trap again. Her heart couldn’t
take it again.
Unless he was involved with someone.
Oh, God. She’d never thought of that. Just because he was back didn’t mean he
didn’t have someone in his life. What if he’s married now? His wife could be at
the ranch. He could have children.
Stop
it!
Madilyn stood and headed for the shower. Zach would be there in two
hours. The shop closed at noon on Saturdays and wasn’t open at all on Sunday.
Katie liked spending time with her husband on the weekends, although if the
rumors were true, Kevin Parker wasn’t home much, he had a mistress he’d rather
be with. Madilyn couldn’t understand why Katie put up with his indiscretions
but it really wasn’t any of her business. The two women had become great friends
over the years they’d worked together but Katie didn’t mention her husband much
and Madilyn couldn’t bring herself to ask.

Madilyn
wanted a husband, a good man to treat her like a queen, but he’d left her years
ago. In her heart, she knew Brody would never cheat on her. He loved her. At
one time, he’d loved her with all his heart. Her throat tightened and more
tears threatened.
Damn it!
She’d been
fine until she found out he was back and then seeing him nearly brought her to
her knees.
God, she so wanted to just curl into a ball and
wish the world away.
At least, wish Brody Morgan away. He looked so
good. His dark eyes could talk her in or out of anything. The night he’d gazed
into her eyes and talked her out of her clothes was proof of that. They’d been
going together only six months when it happened. At nineteen, she’d given him
her virginity and her heart and soul.

Shaking
away the memories, she stepped from the shower, grabbed a fluffy pink towel,
and dried off. Going out to dinner was the last thing she wanted to do. The
temptation to cancel was strong but it wasn’t fair to Zach. Sighing, Madilyn
strolled into her bedroom and dressed. The light green summer dress matched her
eyes. She applied light make-up and slid her feet into green wedge sandals. The
three inch wedge heels put her just under five eleven. Zach stood at five
eleven. Madilyn never wore higher heels when she was going out with him. She’d
never had a problem with Brody since he topped six four.
Stop thinking about him!
Madilyn blinked quickly to keep the tears
back. Huffing, she took a seat on the sofa and waited for Zach to arrive.

* * *
*

 
Brody and Mark sat at the counter of the
diner eating dinner. His shift had just started, and not much was going on in
the town. Brody was fine with that after the trouble at Dewey’s bar last night.
The bell over the diner rang and he instinctively glanced in that direction. He
was sure his mouth fell open as he watched Madilyn walk in with Zach Johnson
behind her. It was evident they were together. Brody flattened his mouth into a
thin line as he glared at them. He knew the instant she spotted him; she faltered
in her steps but moved her gaze away from his. Brody swung his gaze to Zach and
saw him smirk.
Son of a bitch!
What
the hell was she doing with Johnson?

“They’ve
been dating a while,” Mark muttered.

Brody
whipped his head toward him. “What?”

Mark shrugged.
“You asked what she was doing with him.”

Shit!
Brody hadn’t realized he’d
spoken the words aloud. “How long is a while?”

Mark
rubbed his chin. “Close to a year, I believe.”

Brody
clenched his jaw as he swung his gaze back to the woman he’d always love. No
matter how many he’d been with in the past five years, Madilyn was the only one
he wanted. Now she was dating Zach and had been for almost a year. Zach’s hand
was on her lower back and Brody wanted to snap it like a twig. In all
likelihood, she was sleeping with Zach. Brody’s fist tightened around his
coffee cup so hard he was surprised it didn’t shatter.

 
“Don’t break my cup, Brody,” Connie, the
owner of the diner, scolded him.

He
loosened his grip but still clenched his jaw as he watched them sit in a booth.
Madilyn sat with her back to him. Zach stared at him. Brody raised an eyebrow
at him. They’d never gotten along. Zach had been a year ahead of him in school.
The school jock.
Quarterback of the football team.
Blond hair with blue eyes.
Brody kicked his ass once and
Zach never got over it. Brody knew Zach was enjoying himself.

* * *
*

 
“Are you all right with him being here?”
Zach asked her.

“I’m
fine. It just took me by surprise when we first came in.” Madilyn shrugged. “I
have to get used to seeing him for as long as he’s here.”

“As
long as he’s here?
You think he’s going to leave again?”

“It’s
what he does.”

“I sure
as hell hope he does,” Zach muttered.

Madilyn
glared at him. “I guess we’ll see, won’t we?”

“I’m
sorry. I’m just thinking of you.” Zach smiled at her.

Madilyn
scoffed. “Sure.”

Connie
took their orders and moved away. Madilyn knew it wouldn’t matter what she
ordered. It would taste like sawdust. Zach was jealous of Brody. He always had
been. Madilyn was aware of their history. Everyone in Clifton was. The high
school quarterback didn’t make it to college. His dream of going pro fell apart
when his parents divorced before he graduated from high school. Zach started
selling real estate and although he made a good living at it, he was in no way
near as wealthy as Brody’s family. Brody’s parents had, at one time, the most
lucrative beef ranch in northern Montana. They’d made more than enough money to
retire on and travel. The house sat empty for the past two years and they sold
off all the Angus. Madilyn wanted to look over her shoulder at him but knew she
couldn’t. Taking a deep breath, she picked up her tea and drank. Her gaze moved
to Zach when he snorted.

“What
was that for?” she asked.

“He’s
dying to come back here.”

“What
makes you think so?”

Zach
glanced at her. “He keeps looking back here. I wish he would.”

Madilyn
snickered and then sobered when Zach glared at her. She shrugged. There was no
way Zach would win in a fight against Brody. For one thing, Zach wasn’t in as
good of shape as she was sure Brody was. Brody always kept in shape by working
out. His body was hard. He had to keep in shape being a Marshal and she
couldn’t see him letting himself go. Zach, on the other hand, was soft. He
didn’t work out and although he wasn’t fat, he didn’t have the body or muscle
Brody did.

“You’re
still in love with him,” Zach sneered.

Madilyn
gasped. “I will
not
discuss Brody
with you or anyone else for that matter.” She set her tea down, slid out of the
booth, and strode from the restaurant. She heard Connie yelling at Zach as she
went out the door.

 
“You need to pay for your dinners, Zach.
Whether you ate them or not.”

* * *
*

Brody
watched as Madilyn left the restaurant and Zach halt when Connie called out to
him. Zach tried to dig his wallet out, all the while gazing out the door to
where Madilyn marched down the sidewalk. Zach seemed to be all fingers.