Crazy for Cowboy Page 15

  “Ally?”

  “Well, this must be Emily,” Ally began, her words flavored with a country twang. “It’s a mighty fine pleasure to meet ya. Sonny has told us so much about y’all.”

  “Sonny?” Emily stifled a giggle as she shook the woman’s hand.

  “That’s what we call him around the ol’ homestead.”

  “Ally, why are you dressed like that?”

  “What do you mean, Sonny?”

  “We’re playing cowboys,” Liam called out.

  “I can see that,” Brandon told the boy, “I’m just not sure why.”

  “We wanted your friend to feel at home,” Ally answered, looking at Brandon as though he were dense.

  “Oh, man.” Brandon slapped his hand against his forehead and almost destroyed what was left of Emily’s composure.

  “I hope you can come back to the house with us. We’ve planned a real down home meal for you, Emily,” Ally told her. “Beans, corn dogs and prairie oysters.”

  “That’s cows’ tentacles,” Liam explained, still prancing around on his horse. “Yuck!”

  “Looks like you’ve been eating already, Liam. What’s that on your face?” Brandon leaned down and ran a knuckle across the little boy’s cheek.

  “Ketchup from lunch,” Ally said after a quick appraisal. She looked over at Emily and smiled. “I’m surprised any food finds its way into his mouth at all. Shall we get a move on?”

  “Sounds like a plan. But I should get back to the set.” Brandon held his hand out to Liam. The little guy took it and walked beside his uncle. Emily moved to the boy’s other side and was surprised to feel little fingers curl around her hand, too.

  “What are cows’ tentacles, anyways?”

  Emily looked at the other adults. They were trying to suppress their laughter, even as she was. Then the smile left Brandon’s eyes.

  She followed his line of vision and found a man coming through the sliding glass doors of the hospital—the same balding man that she’d seen giving directions on the set.

  And he didn't look pleased.

  * * *

  Brandon took one look at Nick Sunderland and knew the words you’re fired were coming up fast. It would have been painful under any circumstance, but knowing that Emily and his family were going to hear it, too, was going to be the ultimate humiliation.

  “Everyone, this is the director of the picture, Nick Sunderland,” Brandon announced, figuring that proper introductions should take place before formal dismissals. “Sir, this is my family.”

  Nick nodded at the group. “Perfect. I’m sure they’ll all want to hear this.”

  “Listen, Nick...Mr. Sunderland...I’m really—”

  “I know what you’re going to say, Brandon, but the movie comes first. We could let the lawyers deal with this, but I think we can reach an arrangement without all of that legalese mumbo-jumbo.”

  Brandon’s stomach sank to his boots. Were they actually going to sue him? How could he win a battle against the studio’s high-priced lawyers?

  He felt a tug on his pant leg and looked down to find Liam, staring up at him. “What’s that man saying?”

  The director leaned down and rubbed Liam’s head, “Well, young lad, I want to talk to your daddy about his career.”

  “He’s not my daddy. He’s my uncle.”

  “Even better,” Nick said, withdrawing his hand. “I’ve been looking at the rushes, Brandon, and I think you’d be perfect for another project I’m producing.”

  All the blood in Brandon’s body seemed to rush to his feet. He could hardly believe it. Instead of suing him, Nick was offering him a job. “That’s great!”

  “So you’re interested?”

  “Of course, I’m interested. What is it?”

  Nick paused before answering, creating one of those suspenseful moments his films were famous for. “A recurring role on a new television series.”

  Brandon reached out and gave Emily’s hand a squeeze. “Really?”

  “You’d be one of the star’s side-kicks. The character I want you to play has lived life on the seedier side. He’s always dishing out advice on how to deal with the bad guys. It’s an adventure show with laughs—Indiana Jones meets Magnum P.I. We’re looking at Evangeline Lilly to play the lead.”

  “A woman?” Brandon watched Ally’s feminist chest swell.

  “It worked for Tia Carrere on Relic Hunter,” the director explained. “What do you think, Brandon?”

  What did he think? This was it. His big opportunity. He could hardly believe it had happened so quickly. One day he was Joe-waiter; the next, he was being offered a supporting role in a TV series. He could have gone to Vancouver and struggled for years without getting steady work, but here he was, in Calgary, being offered a peach of a deal. Could his luck get any better? “It sounds great.”

  “We’ll start filming the pilot and the first thirteen episodes in a couple of months. At that point, the network can cancel the show or renew it indefinitely. If nothing else, you’ll have a six-month gig out of it, but I’m hoping this one’s going to go big. We’ll have to discuss money with your agent, of course, and billing, but you’re interested, right?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Great. You’re not going to regret this, Brandon. I’ll have my people draw up a preliminary contract for you. And don’t worry, we’ll be handling all your travel arrangements.”

  “Travel?”

  “Yes. We’re filming in Australia. Is that a problem?”

  Brandon swallowed. “No.”

  “Where’s Australia?” a little voice asked.

  “On the other side of the world.”

  Typical Ally. She couldn’t break it to the kid gently. Brandon glanced over at Liam in time to see the hobbyhorse slip out of the boy’s hand. It fell to the floor with a hollow thump. Tears brimmed in the kid’s eyes.

  Liam sucked back a sob. “You’re going away?”

  “This looks like my exit cue,” Nick announced. The guy looked uncomfortable. Understandably so. “I’ll see you back at the set, Brandon. I’ve reworked the schedule. Take tomorrow off. We’ll see you the following day at 2:00.” The director gave him an awkward smile and headed off in the direction of the exit doors.

  Ally tried to wipe Liam’s tears with her sleeve, tears that Brandon knew he had caused. He reached down to stroke his nephew’s hair, but the boy shrank from his touch. Brandon’s own eyes watered.

  “I’ll get some tissues for Liam,” he said and escaped down the hall to find a men’s room. And the scattered pieces of his busted heart.

  * * *

  Emily became conscious of the fact that her mouth was hanging open. How long it had been that way, she wasn’t sure. Probably since Nick had offered Brandon the television series. Possibly since she’d discovered that his co-star was going to be a woman. Definitely since she’d learned that Brandon would be filming in Australia for six months...maybe longer. But what really made her jaw go slack was how Brandon had walked away from his nephew. The little boy threw his arms around his mother’s legs.

  “It’s okay, honey,” Ally told him as she picked up the fallen hobbyhorse. “Here’s your pony.”

  “I don’t care about the pony,” Liam’s muffled voice answered back.

  Emily knew how he felt. Brandon had acted as though his bags were packed and he was ready to go. He seemed to have completely forgotten about her and his family in his plans—people he’d said meant everything to him.

  She felt a pang in her chest as the truth hit her. Once again, she’d allowed herself to care for a man who was destined to leave her. A man who was just as unsteady as her past boyfriends. Just as unsteady as her father.

  She tried to be angry, tried to whip herself into a fury. It didn’t work. She couldn’t find it in her heart to blame him. Opportunities like this came once in a lifetime. Could she really expect him to turn down the offer and stay with her? Would she do the same for him?

  She thought about her pra
ctice, the one she had built from nothing. Was she willing to leave it? She had no idea how things worked in Australia. Would she need to get more training? A different license? Would she have to apply for a work permit? How long would it take her to sell her practice here?

  And why was she thinking about business, anyway? If her feelings for Brandon were true, wouldn’t she be willing to toss everything aside for him?

  She reached up and massaged her temples. There were too many questions and, in asking them, she was only avoiding the real issue. She had no idea how Brandon felt.

  Sure, he liked her. That was fairly obvious. But, he’d never told her that he loved her. Perhaps he didn’t, even though his words had been loving.

  Hell, he hadn’t even told her his real name.

  And, in the end, did it really matter how Brandon felt? Emily had her own emotions to deal with and, try as she might to hate him, she realized it wasn’t going to happen. She had to admit to herself that she was in love with the guy. Because of that, she wasn’t going to stand in his way. Or stand around waiting to be rejected again.

  “Ally...I should get going.”

  Brandon’s sister looked at Emily with a puzzled expression. “I thought you were going to have dinner with us.”

  “I think it’s better if I go.” Emily reached for Ally’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “I really enjoyed meeting you and Liam. And I hope things go well for your brother. Please, say goodbye to him for me.”

  She felt Ally’s grip tighten. “That sounds kind of final. You’ll be seeing him yourself, won’t you?”

  “No. I don’t think so.”

  There was nothing else for her to say, nothing that would change the way things were. Unable to summon up another word, Emily caressed Liam’s cheek, turned, and followed Nick out of the emergency room doors.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Brandon sat on the foldout couch in his apartment, a glass of water in one hand and a couple of painkillers in the other. The pills worked great, helping to deaden the ache in his leg where eighteen stitches held him together. But they did nothing to alleviate the pain in his heart.

  He kept replaying the scene in the hospital from the day before. The look of hurt in Liam’s eyes had been unbearable. Even worse was the moment when Emily had pulled away from him. As soon as Nick said the word Australia, her hand had gone limp and slipped out of his.

  Once he was back home, he’d phoned her office, called her apartment, left messages at both places. But she hadn’t responded.

  As he sat brooding, words came back to him, whispered secrets that Emily had told him. About her father. About the cowboys she’d dated. About unsteady men in her past. And damned if his behavior hadn’t landed him a place on her list of deserters.

  Brandon shook his head. If he kept thinking about it, he was going to drive himself crazy. He had to get out.

  He climbed down the stairs from his apartment, favoring his left leg. At the bottom of the steps he stopped and clutched the railing, catching his breath.

  From the kitchen, he could hear Ally and Liam talking. As he moved closer to the house, he could make out the words of their conversation.

  “Honey, Brandon has his own life to live,” he heard his sister say. “We can’t stand in his way. It wouldn’t be fair.”

  Brandon leaned against the brickwork, waiting for Liam’s reply.

  “It’s not fair for that man to take Uncle Brandon away.”

  “It isn’t the man’s fault. Brandon wants to go.” Thank God, Ally was being reasonable.

  “But why does he want to leave us? Doesn’t he love us anymore?”

  Brandon felt as if half his gut had been ripped away. At this rate, he’d have a giant-sized ulcer in no time. How could his nephew think that he didn’t love them?

  Frantically, he racked his brain for a solution that would make everything better. He snapped his fingers as the idea hit him. It was so simple. They could be a family in Australia as well as they could in Calgary. Everyone could go down under with him: Ally, Liam, and most of all, Emily.

  “No.” He banged his fist against his good leg. It was a stupid idea. He couldn’t uproot everyone for what might turn out to be a six-month gig. Emily had an established practice. His sister had her education to finish. He couldn’t expect either one of them to move to a different country.

  He let out a laugh, one that held little humor. It occurred to him that he was facing exactly the same decision he had when his father died, his career versus his family. The last time, he’d picked them. Now, the choice was presenting itself again. The same issue was coming back to haunt him.

  Not quite. This time was different, he reminded himself. This time, he was being offered a sure thing, a chance at stardom without the struggle.

  Hell, even that promise was tainted.

  He remembered Nick at the hospital. Was it only his imagination or did the director seem nervous. At the time, all Brandon could think about was the possibility that the Production Company would sue him. Maybe Nick had been concerned about the reverse. Maybe the series offer was a way to keep him quiet and a costly injury claim out of the courts.

  Brandon stuffed his hands into the pockets of his dressing gown and pulled himself up to his full height. So what if the offer was made to keep him from causing trouble? It was still a golden opportunity, the kind life hands you only once. And he would damned well make the most of it. He’d prove to everyone that he had what it took to be a star.

  He owed it to himself to give it a try. But first, he owed his nephew a proper explanation for his decision. He pulled back the kitchen door and found two sad faces looking up at him.

  “Here I am,” he announced with as much cheer as he could muster.

  “Hi,” the boy said then sniffed.

  His sister walked over to him and gave him a hug. “Congratulations, Brandon.”

  “Thanks, Ally.”

  She turned toward her son. “Isn’t there something you want to tell Uncle Brandon?

  “’Gratulations,” the boy said, and ran out of the room.

  Brandon started to hobble after him, but Ally held him back. “Let him go. He needs more time.”

  “Great.” Brandon slumped into a chair. “When I finally get the break I’ve been waiting for, Liam runs away from me and Emily won’t return my calls.”

  “Liam will be okay. He’ll adapt. As for Emily...”

  Brandon looked up at her, hopeful.

  “I think you blew it.”

  The breath he’d been holding came out with a groan. “Always the optimist.”

  Ally leaned into him. “Look, you didn’t talk to her afterwards. You didn’t see the look on her face. She looked kinda like...like you’re looking now.”

  “And how do I look?”

  “Like your life is over.”

  Brandon cradled his head in his hands. “Spare me the melodrama.”

  “Drama is your department, Brandon. I’ll leave that up to you. But I know how to read my brother.”

  He was sure he wouldn’t like what Ally had to say, but he felt as though his butt was glued to the chair.

  “I know how much Emily means to you. Maybe even more than you realize.” She took a seat beside him, resting her hand on his arm. “Do you have any idea how happy you’ve been lately? Even with the stress of the movie and the riding lessons and working at the restaurant—every time I’ve seen you, you’ve had a big, goofy smile on your face. I haven’t seen you this happy since Dad was alive. No. I take that back. You’re happy when you’re around Liam. The rest of the time, you’re going through the motions. And now, because of some job, you’re going to throw that away?”

  “This isn’t some job, Ally. This is my career we’re talking about. A career that I’ve put on hold.”

  “And who asked you to do that?”

  Brandon stiffened. “I couldn’t run off to...”

  Ally held up a hand, silencing him. “You did what you thought was best at the time. And I ap
preciate the sacrifices you made. But in taking this job, I think you’re making a huge mistake.”

  “Look, you said yourself that Liam will get over it.”

  “I’m not talking about Liam. I’m talking about you. Are you willing to walk away from love for a career?”

  “Love?” Brandon felt a surge of heat course through his body. “Who said anything about love?”

  “You don’t have to say it. It shows on your face every time you talk about Emily.” Ally turned away slightly. “I envy you,” she told him. “That’s what I wanted with Liam’s father.”

  Brandon wrapped his arm around his sister’s shoulders. “You’ll find the right guy.”

  “Oh, I haven’t completely lost hope.” She smiled at him for a moment. “He’s out there, somewhere. A man who will love me. And Liam. And when I find him, I hope I’m not so preoccupied with the unimportant things in life that I let him slip away.”

  She’d almost had him. Almost talked him into believing that love could conquer all. But that last crack brought him back to reality.

  “A career is not unimportant.”

  “No, but it’s not the be all and end all, either.” She looked him straight in the eye and didn’t flinch. “A career might be nice, Brandon. But, as the old saying goes, a career won’t keep you warm at night.”

  He tried to picture it: the big paycheck, the fancy house, the fancier car, the parties...the prestige. He waited for the rush, the high of excitement the fantasy would give him, and was surprised to discover the whole illusion left him cold. It wasn’t the life he wanted.

  His sister was right. All the money and fame in the world couldn’t substitute for the love he had with his family...that he felt for Emily. Without her, there was an emptiness in his chest, as though a vital organ, or two, had disintegrated. Yesterday, for a few minutes, it was as if he’d had everything. Now it was all gone. He was going to lose the beautiful lady vet.

  Had he ever really had her? Some fictional cowboy had held her, kissed her, dreamed about her. He had no right to feel this way, as though he was losing the most precious thing in his life. As though he were...in love.