Mason (Remington Ranch Book 1) (Contemporary Western Romance) (23 page)

The little smile on his face spoke volumes, but he was too much of a gentleman to agree. “Another thing I've realized is that I don't want good. Good isn't good enough. I want great.”

“You deserve great, Liam. You really do.”

“You've found great with the cowboy, haven't you?”

She nodded. She truly had. And she wondered why she hadn't been making the most of every minute of it. “We were great years ago, and that doesn't just go away. It's taking a little readjusting to accommodate the people we've become, but yeah, what we have—what we are together—is great.”

Liam nodded. “Then you do everything you can to keep it. Don't put anything else ahead of it, will you?”

Wow! “Thanks, Liam. I don't intend to lose it again. But what about you?”

He gave her a sheepish look. “I don't want to offend you, but I think I found great a long time ago, too. But I was too scared to go after it. I'm
still
too scared. What if it doesn't work out?”

Gina smiled at him. “No risk, no reward. How many times have you said that about the business?”

“It's different when it's just business, isn't it? All you stand to lose is money.”

She guessed that was easy to say when you could afford to lose the money. She had a feeling that there was no risk involved in going after what he wanted. His next words confirmed it.

“Kaitlyn has been with me for years.”

Gina couldn't help the grin that spread across her face. “I agree. And you've wasted far too much time already. Go for it, Liam. You two are perfect for each other. I think you’ve found your perfect right there.”

He looked stunned. “You knew? That I felt that way?”

She was able shake her head honestly. She hadn't known that
he
felt that way, but she sure as hell knew that Kaitlyn did. “I didn't know. But I'm begging you to tell her.”

“You think she...”

Gina grinned. “That's for the two of you to discuss, but I suggest you do it right away. I'd love to see a happy ending before I leave.”

He looked so doubtful. “You really think she might...want me?”

“Come on. Let's go find her.”

“But shouldn't I wait? Take time, figure out the best way to do it? Think about how it can all work?”

As she dragged him to his feet she shook her head. She realized what she was telling him was the advice she needed to hear herself. “Just go with it. When you find great, the details will sort themselves out along the way. What you don't want to do is risk losing it. You're totally practical, and I think some of that wore off on me over the years. What we both have to do now is trust that by throwing ourselves fully into what we want, the practical will take care of himself.” She grinned at him as she pulled him out into the street and started heading back toward the gallery. “How does that sound?”

He grinned back. “Scary as hell, but it still feels like the right thing to do.”

“Then, let's go do it.”

Mason looked across at Chance. “Are you sure about this?”

Chance nodded. “You might not like the idea, but think about the alternative. If April stays here and he beats on her, one of us is going to end up going to jail for beating on him—or worse.”

Mason nodded. When he'd told Chance what had been going on with April and Guy, he'd had a hard time stopping him from going straight out to the Preston place to beat the crap out of him. Once he'd calmed down, he'd insisted that they needed to come up with a plan to get her out of there. Mason had spoken to April. She was still afraid of what Guy might do. Apparently, he believed that Gina leaving town had something to do with what April had told her. Mason was happy to let that ride. It gave them some time, before he started laying into April again.

Chance didn't even know April too well, but the thought of a man hitting a woman had him well and truly riled up and ready to even the score. April had said she'd love to leave the valley. Leave Montana even if she could, and she was ready to take the risk of just taking her son and leaving.

Chance had offered to drive them down to California. He still had some family there and had spoken to his sister. She'd managed to line up a place to stay and even a job for April while she found her feet.

The plan was to wait until Guy went out for the evening. April said he left at seven and rarely came home before two in the morning. If they picked her up and got straight on the road, they'd be out of state before Guy even knew they were gone.

They were sitting in one of the old ranch trucks out on the edge of one of the hayfields. Chance nodded when he saw Guy's SUV pull out. “There he goes. How long do you think we give him?”

“At least fifteen minutes to make sure he's not forgotten something and coming back.”

Fifteen minutes later, Mason called April.

“Can we go now?” she sounded desperate.

“Yep. Get Marcus and your bags, we'll be there in just a few minutes.”

Mason couldn't even feel nervous while they loaded April and her son into the truck. He was finally putting right something he'd felt guilty about for years. It was his fault that April was with Guy and it was up to him to get her out of here. Part of him wished Guy would come back and discover what was going on so he could just beat the shit out of him. But as Chance had said, that wouldn’t help anything.

Ten minutes later they pulled up next to Chance’s big black pickup. He'd left it at the bottom of Mill Lane so Guy wouldn't see it. Once they'd transferred the bags and Marcus, April came to Mason.

“I'll never be able to thank you enough. Or to repay you.”

“He shook his head. There's no need. I'm just putting something right.”

She nodded. “I loved you back then, you know.”

Ouch. He didn't know. “I'm sorry.” He didn't know what else to say.

She smiled. “I'm not. I'd never have been any good for you. You need a strong woman. You need Gina. A woman who can stand on her own two feet. You need her standing beside you, not someone like me. You and Gina are perfect together and I wish you all the happiness in the world. You're a lucky man to have found a strong woman who wants you, not a weak woman who needs you. I hope you realize that.”

Mason stared at her. He sure as hell hadn't realized that before, but now she said it that way, he did. He'd been wanting Gina to be the weak little woman who needed him, but why? Just to feed his own ego? She
was
strong, and he did love that about her, so why had he been getting impatient with her and giving her grief about it? He looked at April. “I'm starting to. You take care, April. I hope someday you'll meet the right man. A man who'll be good to you and be what you need.”

Chance came over. “Well, she's not going to meet him around here. So can we hit the road and get her to a place where she might?”

April hugged Mason. “Thank you. Tell Gina, thanks for everything, too.” She turned and followed Chance to his truck. Mason sat there for a long while, watching Chance's pickup turn into a tiny spec before he started up the ignition and pulled away.

Why did it take April to tell him what he hadn't been seeing? He'd been resenting the very things about Gina that made him love her—that made her even more perfect for him now than she had been as a kid. He needed to let her know that. He needed to tell her that he supported everything she was and everything she wanted to do. He didn't need to hold her down, to make her small, so he could feel big. He wanted to be what she'd kept asking him to be—an equal partner. And he needed to tell her that—now!

~ ~ ~

Gina stood with Ian and Cassidy. The opening was a huge success. The contrasts in subject matter of her Brazilian shots were creating some interesting conversations. She loved when her work provoked people to think and talk. They were selling well, too. Much better than she'd dared hope. Ian dug her in the ribs. “So, little Miss Matchmaker, I would never have dreamed that you would be the one to get those two to finally see the light.” He jerked his chin to where Liam and Kaitlyn were standing in a quiet corner, gazing adoringly into each other’s eyes.

Cassidy shuddered. “They deserve each other.”

Gina had to laugh at the look on her face. “They're right for each other. I'm happy for them. Liam and I had an interesting conversation and we helped each other to realize a few things.”

Cassidy raised an eyebrow at her.

“You helped me, too. To realize that I've been so busy trying to prove that I can make it on my own, that I don't
need
Mason, that I haven't allowed myself to admit how much I
want
him. He's more important than anything else in the world to me, yet I haven't thrown myself into it wholeheartedly because I couldn't let go of my stranglehold on control.”

Ian laughed. “So what are you going to do now?”

“I don't know yet, but as soon as I get home to him, I'm going to make us a priority.” She looked at Cassidy. “I want to just spend some time with him. Find ourselves a place to live. Put him first. It won't affect the work though.”

“Hey, I've been the one telling you to put him first. I know we're good, what we’re doing is going to be great. And it's like I said about financial stress, it shows through in your work. I want you as happy as can be, because that will shine through in your work as well.”

Ian nodded sagely. “You listen to her, Gina. The woman is genius.”

Cassidy slapped his arm. “Quit it, Rawlings.” She looked over to the reception area and laughed. “It looks like you won't need to wait until you go home to show your cowboy how much you love him, Gina.”

Gina followed her gaze and felt her heart start to race. Mason! Oh my God! He was gorgeous. Seeing him standing there—in a tux no less—took her breath away. She had no clue what he was doing here, but she didn't care. All that mattered was that he was here.

He turned and met her gaze. He smiled that smile of his and she knew. She knew that any doubts were behind them. He was everything. Everything else in the crowded gallery melted away as she made her way to him. She smiled when she saw him nod and start toward her to meet her halfway.

“Hi, babe.”

“Hi.”

He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her to him.

“Thanks for coming.”

He winked. “I wanted to show you my support.”

“Do you mean that?”

He nodded. “I finally figured it out, G. I love you. I love who you are. I was getting caught up in how I thought things should be between a man and a woman. I was being stupid, because if they were that way between you and me, you wouldn't be you, and I love
you.
”

She wrapped her arms around his waist and smiled up at him. “And I love you, cowboy. I got so caught up in proving myself. I was so scared of losing me. I forgot that part of who I am is what you make me.”

“We're what we make each other, G. Each of us is strong enough...” He smiled. “...and stubborn enough by ourselves. But we're better together.”

“We are. So can we just get on with our life now?”

He nodded. “As long as you mean you get on with your life, I get on with mine, and our life is born of that. I understand now that it wouldn't work any other way. I get it, and I wouldn't want it to be any different.”

She reached up and pecked his lips. “You've got yourself a deal.”

He reached into his pocket and went down on one knee before her. Suddenly, the room around them came back into focus. Everyone was staring at them and started to gather around.

He smiled up at her and took her hand. He held out a box with a ring inside it. She felt tears prick her eyes when she saw it. No diamond for her. She'd told him when they were kids that someday she wanted an engagement ring with a Yogo Sapphire, mined in Montana.

“Gina Delaney, will you finally marry me?”

She nodded and felt the tears begin to escape. “Yes! Yes, Mason I will.”

The crowd around them erupted into applause. Mason stood up and slid the ring onto her finger.

“You remembered?”

He grinned and kissed her lips. “I've had that thing waiting for you for eleven years, babe.”

Shane appeared out of the crowd and hugged her. She hadn't even realized he was here. “About time, too, sis!”

She hugged him back. “Finally, we get to make it official. You've always been my brother.”

Cassidy stepped forward and took her hand to admire the ring. “Congratulations, Gina. It's beautiful.” She grinned at Mason. “I would never have guessed Montana men would have such good taste.”

Shane put an arm around her shoulders. “Why would it surprise you, sweetheart?”

Gina laughed as Cassidy shrugged him off.

Liam and Kaitlyn were next to congratulate them. Liam shook Mason's hand. “I wish you both the very best.” He smiled at Gina. “And I believe you've found it.” He pulled Kaitlyn to his side. “I know I have.”

Gina hugged them both. She was happy for them, too.

~ ~ ~

Once they'd claimed their baggage back at the Bozeman airport, Mason grinned at Shane. “Would you mind taking Cassidy home? I have a little surprise I want to show Gina.”

Shane beamed. “Of course.”

Cassidy rolled her eyes at Gina. “Have fun. Call me tomorrow.” She scowled at Shane. “Straight home, mister. No, I do not want to have dinner or a drink or anything else.”

Shane grinned back at them over his shoulder as they walked away. Gina had to laugh as he tried to put an arm around Cassidy's shoulders and she shrugged him off.

“So what's this surprise?” she asked Mason as they walked back to his truck.

“It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you, would it?”

An hour later they pulled in at the barn. “Are you going to tell me yet?” she asked.

“Nope, I'm going to show you.” He took her hand and led her out back, down past the round pen and across the little bridge over the creek.

She couldn't figure out where they might be going. The only thing out here was Beau's cottage. Mason led her to it and unlocked the front door. “You know I want you to be you and I don't want to make decisions for us, all by myself, but I can't stop being me anymore than you can stop being you.”

She gave him a puzzled look, not getting where he was going with this.

He looked uncertain as he met her gaze. “Say no if you want to.”

“To what?” she laughed. She still didn't know what he meant.

“Well if you want it, this place is ours. I know I'm impatient, but I want you to live with me, make a home together.”

She looped her arms up around his neck. “Mason, you are my home. Always have been always will be. I love you, I love this place. Let's do it.”

He tipped his hat back and smiled the smile that melted her heart. “In that case, welcome home, babe.”

And she knew she finally was.