Page 28 of Aisle Be The Groom (Bristlecone Springs #1)

GRAY

“ G ray, what a pleasant surprise. Come on in.”

I hesitated inside the doorway, a bead of sweat trickling down my cheek. The coolness of the air conditioning washed over my overheated skin, soothing me. Despite leaving the ranch early to make it to Cockburn Creek to catch Abilene Jo in case she had to go to the courthouse, I was melting under the already sweltering sun.

Abilene Jo, a distant cousin of mine and my lawyer, cocked an eyebrow. “Well, don’t just stand there letting all the cool air out. Do you know how much the electric bill costs this time of year?”

I chuckled, her gentle chiding pulling me out of my trance. Of course I was doing the right thing by visiting her. The door closed behind me with a gentle thud, and I moved farther into the office, removing my Stetson. Abilene Jo’s gaze followed my every move, her eyes sharp as a hawk. The scent of old books and lemon polish immediately put me at ease.

“How’re you doing, girl?” I leaned forward to kiss her leathery, wrinkled cheek twice. “It’s been a long time since we’ve had to see each other in person. Where’s that assistant of yours?”

“Taken, so don’t even turn on the Southern charm.” She brandished her left hand, showing off the gold wedding band with the glittering diamond. “Ver and I tied the knot.” She spun around a charcoal photo frame that displayed a wedding picture of her and her much younger assistant gazing out over the ocean.

I laughed heartily. “Well, damn. Looks like I wasn’t the only one working the Southern charm. Congrats. I’m happy for you and Veronica. Is that why you went on vacation two weeks ago?”

“We went on our honeymoon to Cura?ao.”

“Fancy.”

“We deserve it. I never thought I’d get married, but here I am, making a commitment for life.”

Oh shit. I scratched the back of my head. “Yeah, well, that’s wonderful.”

“Sit. Tell me what you’re doing here. Did we have a meeting I forgot about?”

“No, this is different.”

“How so?”

“I’m looking for advice on divorcing Emma.”

“My advice is ‘don’t,’” she said without missing a beat.

“That’s no longer an option. It was foolish of us to remain married, given the circumstances.”

“Not foolish. Wise. If you divorce Emma, you’ll be required to divide your assets. She could claim a stake in the ranch. The last thing you want—”

“No, she won’t want the ranch or anything to do with it.”

“She doesn’t have to keep it, Gray. What if she sells it?”

“She wouldn’t.” Except she would. She hated everything about the ranch. “I’m sure we can come to an amicable settlement agreement. Weren’t we able to do that for years?”

She clicked a pen a couple of times. “Let me ask you, Gray. Was the divorce your idea or hers?”

“Mine, but she agreed.”

“Who wouldn’t when you stand to earn a hefty settlement? There’s no way this isn’t going to cost you big-time.”

I swallowed, then licked my lips. A lot of money and assets were at stake, but I knew that when I married her. What was the sense of being wealthy and unhappy?

“I’ve made up my mind, Abilene. I need to be out of this marriage. We’ve been living apart for years now. Please tell me it won’t take long.”

“Depends on what you think is long. Even though you were living apart, you weren’t legally separated. It’ll take a few months—at least three—and that’s if the settlement is uncontested.”

“Three months?” I groaned.

“May I ask what the rush is? You’ve been married for over twenty years. What’s a few more months?”

I let out a sigh. “I’m dating someone, and he’s not very confident because I’m still married.”

“Just like I suspected. The first thing we have to do is file for divorce and have Emma served. We’ll get you a divorce lawyer who can ensure you get the best deal.”

“Must I use a different lawyer? You’ve handled divorces.”

“Yes, when it involved broke people who have nothing to argue over. Your case is different.”

“I’m not trying to cut Emma out. I want to be fair to her.”

“But does she feel the same? Divorce brings out the worst in people, Gray. The absolute worst, and Emma has always been a bit of a drama queen.”

I couldn’t disagree with that. “That won’t happen. I think she wants this as much as I do.”

“For your sake, I hope that’s true.”

Abilene Jo’s remarks stayed with me on the way back to the ranch. Both Emma and I had changed over the years. Could I say I knew her? The sweet, country girl I’d fallen in love with decades ago was hardly the same woman who was making Ozzie’s life a nightmare, planning for a wedding that wouldn’t happen.

The sight of the ranch, with its sprawling acres so well cared for over the years, caused a lump to form in my throat. Would Emma insist on having a share of the property? And if she did, what right did I have to fight her? She was entitled to her share in a divorce settlement.

I pulled up in front of the main house and took a deep breath. The ranch could run itself without my input. Most of our workers had been with us for over five years and didn’t require micromanagement. I’d been on Matty’s case about taking some time off, but I probably should too. Maybe Ozzie and I could get away for a couple of weeks after we broke the news to Carter. It would give us time for the news to become stale. Hopefully, during that time, someone else would be the hot topic.

Not likely.

Groaning, I got out of my truck and slammed the door shut. Ozzie had been watching Hudson’s daughter since yesterday. That hadn’t deterred Emma from stopping the wedding planning, though. She’d gone ahead and arranged for the flowers and the cake tasting without Ozzie’s input.

If the wedding were real, I would have been annoyed for Ozzie.

I checked my watch and smiled. I was back in time to join the ranch hands, who were moving our largest herd of cattle to the northern pastures. The physical work would be a welcome distraction from my impending divorce and the need to rescue Ozzie from Emma. I’d used up my wild card by getting him out of the tuxedo fitting yesterday. One more interference and Emma would get suspicious.

When I opened the front door, giggles greeted me. I followed the sound to the living room and stopped in the doorway to quietly watch Ozzie and Hudson’s daughter, Ivy. They had created space in the center of the room by pushing the coffee table out of the way. They were on hands and knees on a white sheet, fingerpainting on it. Ozzie was smeared with more paint than the sheet. Ivy’s eyes sparkled with joy as she slapped her painted hand on Ozzie’s cheek.

Ozzie let out a mock gasp of horror, his eyes wide, and the little girl burst into a fit of giggles. Watching them filled me with a warmth I hadn’t felt in a long while. The genuine happiness between them was both heartwarming and heartbreaking. How her mother could have run out on her, I would never understand.

“Did you just attack me with red paint?” Ozzie asked, feigning indignation, his tone playful. “Let’s see how you like it.”

Ozzie dipped his finger into the blue paint. “Blue because that’s your favorite color.” He swiped a finger down the little girl’s arm.

Ivy shook her head and squealed. She scrambled to her chubby legs and launched herself at Ozzie. Laughing, Ozzie caught her midflight and made an airplane out of her, eliciting a chorus of shrieks that echoed throughout the house. He finally set her on the sheet, causing more peals of laughter to erupt from her tiny body.

An ache spread through my chest. When was the last time a child’s laughter had echoed within these four walls? I’d come home to my kids every single night, but back when they were little, I’d worked long hours on the ranch. It wasn’t until they were older that I really got to spend any quality time with them.

If I could do it all over again…

“He’s good with children, isn’t he?” Emma slid next to me and placed her hand on my shoulder.

“He is. He’s wonderful.”

She sighed. “It pains me to admit it, but I agree. I think he’ll have a calming influence on Carter.”

Ozzie raised his head and saw us. His gaze drifted to where Emma’s hand rested on my shoulder, and he quickly glanced away. His smile had dimmed.

I turned slightly, forcing Emma to drop her hand. “What do you mean? I thought you didn’t like the two of them together?”

“In the beginning, I didn’t, but I’ve changed my mind. I thought he would wash out Carter. Ozzie was always so mousy, with no backbone whatsoever, but since I’ve been here, he’s not been rolling over and going along with whatever I say. Frustrating but…I approve. I don’t know if you realize, Gray, but our son’s a bit of a…I guess I shouldn’t say it.”

She might not have, but I understood only too well. “He’s still young. I was pretty cocky at that age too.”

“Yes, and there’s nothing wrong with a little cockiness per se, but there needs to be something else—responsibility, accountability, and kindness. But then again, I don’t suppose I’ve set such a good example with Carter.”

“Don’t beat yourself up. Matty has his quirks too.”

“He’s way too serious.”

“We have to hope they’ll get it right. We did the best we could at that time.”

She clicked her tongue. “Why does this feel like a parent support group meeting?”

I chuckled. “Hardly a group. It’s just the two of us.”

“Frankly, I can’t blame Ozzie for stalling the wedding. I should call Carter again and put my foot down. How does he expect to get married when he’s not here? Your son is so inconsiderate.”

She turned on her heels, and I sighed. I should have told her to expect to be served, but I didn’t want to deal with it at that moment.

“Hey, how’s babysitting?” I entered the living room. Ozzie had Ivy on his lap, helping her to drink water from her bottle while she rubbed paint into his skin. “That’s going to take some scrubbing to get off.”

“But it’s worth it. She’s so sweet.” He smiled. “How much time do you think I have to stash us away in your truck and leave town before Hudson finishes work?”

Laughing, I lowered myself next to him, cupped the back of his head, and kissed his temple. “Am I included in this scheme of yours?”

“Of course. You have to drive the getaway truck, since you know this place better than me.”

“ That’s the only reason you would want me around?”

He made his eyes go big and raised his eyebrows. “Why else? Isn’t that reason enough?”

“You know da-darn well it isn’t.” A glance around showed we were alone, so I kissed him. A tiny hand in my chest shoved me away, and we broke into laughter as Ivy spat out the teat of the bottle and glared at me. “Mine! Mine!” She spread her arms wide and cuddled Ozzie.

“All right, all right, you can have him. But only for now.”

“I should get her cleaned up.” Ozzie got to his feet, and I rose as well. “By the way, you left so early this morning. What was that about?”

“I had to see my lawyer. She’s out of town, so it’s a bit of a drive.”

He frowned. “Is everything okay?”

“Yes. Don’t worry about it. I’m going to head out to join the others. You need anything, call me.”

I brushed my fingers across Ozzie’s cheeks, which I got away with, since Ivy was distracted. I sneaked in for a kiss, and she tilted her head and pursed her lips. Chuckling, I pulled away with a single promise. “Later.”