Yours for the Taking Read online

  She shouldn’t have been surprised; she’d known all along it would end. She just never imagined it would end like this. Gina took a deep breath, which ended in a hiccup, grabbed her bag, and rummaged through her makeup. She needed to go home. Everything made sense there. Looking at her blotchy face and swollen eyes, she slapped on makeup until she recognized herself again. Once her control was firmly in place, she picked up her phone and called Dick. “Dick Sommers, please. It’s Gina Walsh.”

  “Hi, Gina, did you get my message?”

  “No, well, not all of it. What’s going on?”

  “I think I found Rafael’s trail. I tracked down the lawyer who worked the sale; his secretary was willing to share some information for a fee. I’m not sure if I’ve found the right baby, but the timing works. If we have the right kid, Rafael went to a family out of California. The name on the check was Hutchins. I haven’t been able to trace them yet, but I found a piece of land purchased in Oregon in the name Michael R. Hutchins. I’m going to go and check it out.”

  “So that’s why you were investigating titles?”

  “Yeah, why else would I be sifting through all this crap?”

  “Thanks, Dick. From now on, use my cell phone number only. Okay?”

  “Will do. I’ll be in touch.”

  “Good. I’m going to head back to New York today.” Gina ended the call and dragged her bags to the kitchen. Kate and Karma sat at the table with their heads together and stood as soon as she walked in.

  Kate pulled Gina into a hug. “I’m sorry, sweetie. We weren’t listening but Ben has a big mouth. We couldn’t help but hear the whole thing.”

  Gina couldn’t remember ever getting a hug like that from a woman. At first it was nice but she wasn’t letting Gina go.

  “Ben’s a man. That Y chromosome makes them act like asses sometimes. He’ll come around.”

  Gina shook her head and she blinked a few times, trying to hold back tears. It was one thing to cry when you didn’t have makeup on. Crying with makeup was a disaster. She stepped away from Kate. “I just need to go home.”

  Karma pushed her mom out of the way and hugged Gina. God, all this sympathy was difficult to take.

  “Tell us what you want to do, and we’ll help you.”

  Gina patted Karma and stepped away. The two of them were definitely cut from the same cloth. She hugged her arms around herself trying to hold it together. “I just need to leave and I need to take Jasmine with me. Do busses accept dogs?” Great, now she was a single mother. She’d have to remember to feed and water Jasmine all on her own, not to mention walk her.

  Karma shook her head. “I’m sure Grandpa Joe would fly you back in one of the corporate jets.”

  Gina backed away. “I don’t want anything from him. I never have and I certainly don’t want to fly. I just need to get a bus. There is a bus station in town, right?”

  Kate poured her a cup of coffee. “I think we can do better than that. Buck is on his way over before taking a load back east. You’re not afraid of trucks, are you, Gina?”

  “No, I’m good with trucks, cars, trains, and buses.”

  Karma smiled. “Uncle Buck is perfect. He might even teach you to drive.”

  “Who is Buck?”

  Karma flipped her hair over her shoulder and grabbed the phone. “He’s sweet on Mom. You’ll love him and I’m sure if Mom asked him real nice, he’d be happy to take you back to New York.”

  Within an hour, a mountain of a man with red hair, mustache, and a beard walked in and poured himself coffee. He looked at Gina and smiled as a big gap peeked out between his front teeth. “So you’re the package I get to deliver to Brooklyn, huh?”

  “I could really use a lift, if you wouldn’t mind. I’d be happy to pay you. Oh, and I have a puppy too.” She held up Jasmine to show him.

  “Put your money away. I should be paying you. It’s not often I get to do a favor for Kate. She’s an independent one, my Katie is. Besides, you and that little pup will be good company. Are you packed to leave?”

  “Yeah, I never unpacked.”

  “Good, I’ll grab your gear and as soon as you ladies say your good-byes, we’ll hit the road.”

  Gina nodded and looked at Karma and Kate. “Thanks for all your help.”

  Kate shushed her. “Gina, I was so worried about Ben getting hurt. I never thought he’d hurt you. I was wrong. I’m sorry. I don’t know what got into him. I thought I’d raised him better than that.” She rubbed Gina’s arm. “You and Ben will work things out once he realizes what an ass he’s been. You can’t really hold it against him though. Look at his grandfather. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. He’s a good man. Just remember that when he comes crawling back to you.”

  Gina’s arms were crossed and they were the only things keeping her from falling apart, which was just too embarrassing to even contemplate. “Kate, you can’t tell him where I’ve gone. Please just give me some time.”

  Karma nodded. “Mom’s right. He’ll come around but after what he said to you, he deserves to stew in his own juices. Our lips are sealed.” Karma held up her hand to stall Gina’s escape. She ran out of the room and returned with the deed to the ranch. “Whatever happens, this is yours.” She stuffed the papers in Gina’s bag. “You’ll have plenty of time on the drive back to plan your next move. I wrote down both our numbers. Keep in touch. If you need anything just ask, and remember I’m happy to give you ideas on ways to torture Ben. It’s a hobby of mine.” She pulled Gina into yet another hug. “I’m just glad I finally have another girl in the family. With you and Jasmine, we’re almost even with the boys.”

  Gina didn’t know what to say to that. She just shut her mouth and let Karma hug her. She really liked Karma and Kate. She was going to miss them. “Thanks for everything.”

  Buck came back into the kitchen. “Come on, little lady. We’ve got a timetable to meet.” Buck pulled Kate into a hug. “I’ll see you when I return.” He kissed her cheek and gave her a smack on the ass.

  “Buck!”

  Gina and Karma exchanged glances. Karma moved over and whispered, “Mom’s the queen of playing hard to get. Me, I’ve never been really good at that.”

  “I am, or at least, I was. Bye, Karma, thanks for everything.” Gina survived one more set of hugs before following Buck out to the pickup. She put Jasmine in and he helped her up into the cab. “My rig is at my place. Do you need anything before we leave town?”

  “Could we stop at a pet store? I need to buy Jasmine more food, a real leash and collar, and a couple of bowls.”

  “Okay. Buckle up, I know just the place.”

  Gina put on her seat belt and held Jasmine close as she waved to Kate and Karma.

  ***

  Ben stopped at Humpin’ Hannah’s and was disappointed when he didn’t see Karma behind the bar. She was always nice to him. He thought about who else he could go to. Trapper came to mind, but Trapper would have just told him how stupid he’d been to marry Gina in the first place. No, he was not the man Ben could turn to for support or advice on love, marriage, or Gina. Still, Karma’s absence didn’t stop him from pulling up a bar stool and ordering a shot and a beer. He was mad as hell and still wanted to punch something, but the fading anger only made him hyperaware of the pain. Sharp and powerful. He’s just been pummeled by a tag-team of the two most important people in his life—his wife and his grandfather.

  He tossed his credit card on the bar and made sure he had plenty of cash for a cab knowing he’d have to be good and drunk before going back home. He wasn’t looking forward to facing Gina but he would. His only question was whether he’d be able to look at himself in the mirror afterward.

  Even now, knowing what Gina had planned and accomplished, he wanted her. Sure, he hated what she’d done, but God help him, he still loved her. He was more pissed than he’d ever been, both at Gina and his grandfather, and God knew he was hurt, but he couldn’t help but think she must be in some kind of trouble to do what she had
done. He’d known all along she was hiding something. He’d known every damn time she’d lied to him.

  He rested his elbows on the bar and held his head in his hands. He couldn’t help but think that after this whole thing was over, he’d be lucky to come out of it with a shred of self-respect. If she had wanted the damn ranch, he’d have gladly given it to her. All she’d had to do was ask. He was as incapable of refusing her anything as she was of trusting him.

  He tossed back another shot of tequila and followed it by a few gulps of beer. “Kevin. Line them up, will ya?”

  The bartender looked up from polishing wine glasses. “Do you just want a bottle? I’ll keep your beers full, but man, you gotta pour the shots. I’ve got side work to do.”

  “Sure, do me a favor. After I hit oblivion and before I pass out, call me a cab.”

  Kevin handed him the bottle. “That bad, huh?”

  Ben poured a shot and tossed it back. “Oh yeah.”

  Ben kept drinking and people came and went, leaving him alone. When he stood to take a trip to the men’s room and had to hold on to the bar while the room settled, he knew he was just about there. “Kevin.” Hell, Ben wasn’t even sure if Kevin was still working. It had been a while. “Bartender, call me a cab.” Ben heard his speech slurring. Yup, he was just about ready to go home. Someone came up beside him and took his arm. “I’ll get you home.”

  It took Ben a moment to focus. “Hey, Trap. What are you doin’ here? I gotta take a leak.”

  Trapper had been drinking with Ben since before the two of them could shave, and he’d never seen him so drunk. Damn, he sure hoped Ben wouldn’t puke in his car. Ben staggered to the men’s room and Trap shook his head while he gave Kevin a big tip and signed Ben’s tab. “Thanks for the call, Kev. I owe ya.”

  Kevin waved him off. “No problem. Just take care of him. He’s in bad shape. Whatever it was really knocked him for a loop.”

  “It was a woman.”

  Kevin nodded. “It usually is.”

  Trapper didn’t know which end was up. His mom had called saying that she and Karma were pissed at Ben about a fight he’d had with Gina. All Trapper knew was Ben was in a tough spot. It wasn’t as if Trapper hadn’t been on the receiving end of their shit enough times to know sometimes a guy just does something that pisses them off. It’s not as if he does it on purpose, or even that the reason they were pissed made the least bit of sense to the logical male mind.

  He loaded Ben in the Sequoia, rolled down the window hoping the fresh air would do him good, and headed back to the house. He sure hoped he wasn’t the one stuck explaining this to Gina. If his mom and sister were pissed, it stood to reason Gina would be too.

  He pulled into the garage and dragged Ben out of the car. “You need to take a handful of aspirin and drink a couple of gallons of water, buddy. You’ll still feel like death tomorrow, but you might avoid wishing you were dead.”

  “I gotta talk to Gina.”

  “Sure you do, but you might want to wait on that until you’re sober. It’s never a good thing to negotiate while drunk.”

  Trap knocked on Ben’s bedroom door, praying Gina wasn’t already asleep. When he opened the door, the room was empty and he let out a breath of relief. It would be easier to get out of there if all he had to do was give Gina a heads up.

  Turning down the bed, Trap dropped Ben on it. “Off with your boots, Benji.” That was about as far as Trap would go. If Ben wanted to get undressed, he was going to damn well sober up enough to do it himself, or hell, let his wife help him. Speaking of which, he needed to hunt her down.

  Trapper turned the light on in the bathroom in case Ben needed to get there quick and noticed the counters were free of all female accoutrements. “Aw, shit. She left him.” He checked the closet and sure enough, there was an entire section of empty hanging space. The only thing she’d left was a pair of very small hiking boots. No wonder Ben got shit-faced. The one time Trapper had fallen hard and lost, he’d stayed drunk for a month. He wouldn’t want to trade places with Ben and he’d done his damnedest to avoid it for the last—he calculated the date—almost five years.

  He tossed a cover on Ben, set water and aspirin on the bedside table, and closed the door behind him as he left, still wondering what the hell had happened.

  ***

  Gina had never ridden in a big rig before. It was nothing like riding in the back of a taxi; she felt as if she were on top of the world. It was nice except for the country music Buck had playing on the radio.

  “You can talk about it if you want. I’m good at keeping secrets. I’ve been a trucker for a long time and I’ve heard a lot of stories. Besides, it’s gonna be a long drive and there’s only so much I can say to the dog.”

  Gina didn’t know what to say, so she kept silent.

  “You can confide in me, how else do you think I got my handle? They call me the Reverend—the Right Reverend Wrong.”

  She searched Buck’s face to see if he was serious. He looked it. A week ago, Gina would have trusted her instincts implicitly, they’d never been wrong before. Those instincts saved her life more times than she cared to count. Today though, for the second time, her instincts had failed her. She couldn’t trust anything or anyone, not even herself. So even though Buck looked as if he were telling the truth, she didn’t know what to believe. She’d been wrong about Ben. Her gaydar had been off and once she’d trusted him and she let her guard down, look where it got her—she was out in the middle of nowhere, driving around in an eighteen-wheeler with a redheaded trucker who wanted to play Dear Abby.

  Gina fastened Jasmine’s new collar on her skinny little neck, not exactly sure how tight it should be. Jasmine’s head was pointy, and Gina was scared to death the collar would slip off and she’d lose her too.

  Buck glanced over as he shifted gears. “You’re supposed to be able to slip a couple fingers easily under the collar. You don’t want to choke the poor thing.”

  Gina loosened the collar another two notches. Better to lose Jasmine than kill her. Gina had lost everyone she’d ever cared about except Tina and Rosalie. Now that they were both married, they didn’t need her anymore. They had their husbands and lives completely separate from hers. Sure Tina and Sam lived in the brownstone, but that was only temporary. What would happen when they bought their own place?

  Buck patted the dog’s head. “There, I think you’ve got it.”

  “Thanks, I feel so inept. I need to buy a Puppies for Dummies book.”

  “I’m sure they have one out there, but I think you’ll find that taking care of an animal is easy to pick up.”

  “Not for me, it’s not. I planned to find her a good home as soon as we got back to Boise, but now I love her, you know? I’m probably being selfish, but I can’t bear to lose her.”

  “Gina, if you care enough to worry about it, you’re going to be great. Just use common sense and good judgment. I think you have both.”

  “Ben said the same thing.”

  Buck smiled. “He’s a smart man usually. But he must have really pulled a dumb stunt to get on Kate’s bad side. She adores that boy like he was one of her own. Sometimes I think she loves him even more to make up for all he’s lost. Did you know Kate and Ben’s mama were best friends?”

  “No, I didn’t, but it makes sense. She’s very protective of him.”

  “After Ben’s parents died, Kate adopted him and Big Joe, and, from the looks of it, you too. Yup, Ben must have done something pretty dumb to lose you and piss off Kate and Karma in one fell swoop. Pretty dumb indeed.”

  Gina hugged Jasmine to her and patted her back. “Call it irreconcilable differences.”

  Buck shook his head. “Nope, there are no such things. All differences can be reconciled with love. The only things that kill love is lack of trust and respect. But then without trust and respect, you can’t very well love the other person, now can you?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve never been in love.”

  “But you marr
ied Ben.”

  “Don’t I know it. We had our reasons. At the time, it seemed to make sense.”

  “God only hears the promises, Gina. You said the words. You promised to love, honor, cherish, and respect Ben in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad.”

  “Yeah, I know what I did. I’m not proud of it. But I had reasons I think even God would understand. Besides, Ben was the one who left. He walked out without a word. I just didn’t wait to see if he would come back. In my experience, men usually don’t.”

  Gina turned to look out the side window, afraid she’d start crying if Buck wouldn’t let it go. The last thing she needed to do was think about Ben Walsh. She just wished she could figure out how not to.

  Chapter 15

  Ben rolled over and wondered why he was clothed. He slid toward Gina’s side, hoping that snuggling up to her would stop the banging in his head. When he reached the edge of the bed, he realized he was alone. Shit.

  The events of the day came back to him. He groaned as he sat holding his head. The throbbing followed the beating of his heart, which was going double-time. He needed to find Gina.

  The blue neon numbers of his clock burned his retinas as he stumbled to the bathroom. The sight of clean counter space had all the hair on the back of his neck standing at attention. “She probably took one of the guest rooms.” Yeah, it would be just like Gina to move out of their room. He splashed water on his face, did his best to brush his teeth without gagging, and wondered if he’d be better off just to throw up all the tequila he’d drunk. Going out and getting trashed had not been the brightest move, but at the time it was all he could come up with.