The Rancher's Surprise Marriage. Susan Crosby
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bedroom had Tony slept in? Where was his new house? He must own a lot of acres not to have another house visible on the horizon, although other ranch structures were in sight.
And where were the cattle? It was a cattle ranch, after all, and she hadn’t spotted one, not even on the long, beautiful drive in and out each day.
Between takes she looked to Leesa for a signal that she’d reached Tony, but she shook her head each time. At the end of the day, Maggie was tempted to get directions to his new house and go there personally, except that she’d probably have to battle paparazzi, unless Tony had figured out a way to get rid of them.
At least the set was closed, and the passenger windows on her car were tinted, so Dino should be able to get her back to the hotel without being followed. Maybe. Mac had already upped the number of security people. Dino was talking about bringing in extra security of his own. She left the decision to him.
Why hadn’t Tony returned Leesa’s call? How furious was he? Or maybe embarrassed was a better word. If he wouldn’t come to her, how could she get to him? She didn’t think she could handle this…situation over the phone, but a personal plea via telephone to come see her might be the only way to get him. She didn’t want to make assumptions about why he hadn’t called. He may not even be at home, and she didn’t have his cell phone number—and didn’t want to ask Mac for it. His residence number, amazingly, was listed in the directory.
On top of that, she and Scott had played phone tag all day, but with both of them actively filming, they hadn’t caught each other during downtimes. She preferred to wait to talk to him until she’d met with Tony, anyway, so that’d been okay.
Maggie managed to keep working all day, presenting a happy face until she stepped into her hotel shower at the end of the day. In the privacy of that space she broke down, giving in to the overwhelming emotions of the past twenty-four hours, first Scott breaking up with her, then sleeping with a man she barely knew, then her reputation taking a major hit of her own making, along with the reputation of a man innocent of such treatment, when all he’d done was rescue her.
No one’s reputation had ever suffered because of her actions. Until now.
“Maggie?” Leesa called through the bathroom door. “Mr. Young is here.”
So. He’d shown up at seven o’clock, just as she’d asked. He just hadn’t bothered to let her know he was coming. “Okay. I’ll be out in a few minutes. Offer him something to drink, please.”
Maggie turned off the shower, made quick work of drying off then slipped into cropped pants and a sleeveless top. She towel-dried her hair, put on a little lip gloss, screwed up her courage, and went to greet him.
Well, damn, she’d wanted him here at seven, he got here at seven, and she was in the shower? Some consideration. Movie stars. Who needs ’em?
Tony stood at the living-room window, his hands shoved into his pockets, and looked out at the view. The sunset colors were brilliant but fading fast.
He’d had a helluva day, had been badgered by his sister, both brothers and just about everyone else who knew his phone number. He’d stopped answering around 10:00 a.m. There were eighteen messages he hadn’t returned, didn’t plan on returning. Of his family, only his father hadn’t weighed in, but Tony figured he’d hear something before too long. Hoyt Young always had an opinion on how his youngest son was living his life, and the fact it looked like Tony had been entertaining someone else’s fiancée wouldn’t sit well with his highly moral father.
Hell, it didn’t sit well with Tony, either, high morals or otherwise.
“I’m so sorry to keep you waiting,” came Maggie’s voice from behind him. “I didn’t know you were coming or I would’ve been ready.”
He angled toward her, was surprised to see her dressed so casually. Her hair was wet, leaving damp spots where it touched her blouse. She was barefoot. She looked ready to bolt, too—nervous and fidgety.
“I was ordered to be here at seven,” he said.
“I hope that’s not true. I hope Leesa extended an invitation for you to come, not ordered you.”
“It may have been politely stated, but it wasn’t a question.”
“Then I apologize. Leesa was pretty frazzled this morning, fielding the frenzy to our photograph, which I assume you saw?”
“My mother let me know this morning around four-thirty.”
“Your—I’m so sorry. Please, would you have a seat? Did Leesa get you something to drink?”
“I’m fine, thanks.” He sat in a leather chair. She perched on the edge of the sofa, as if incapable of settling back or relaxing. Her fingers were interlocked. He remembered how she’d cried last night….
“Were the paparazzi hounding you?” she asked.
“They tried. I made sure they didn’t follow me here.” It had actually been fun ducking them, but he wouldn’t want it on a regular basis.
“I owe you an explanation,” she said.
“I’m all ears.”
“Please understand that I’m going to tell you things I haven’t told anyone else. Even though I’ve turned your world upside down, I’m asking for your discretion. I know I have no right to ask but—”
“I know how to keep my mouth shut.”
She closed her eyes a moment. Her vulnerability hit him hard. Like last night, he wanted to protect her, even though he didn’t know from what. He could easily be a fool for this woman.
“I assume by now you know I was engaged to Scott Gibson,” she said.
“Hard to miss that bit of information.”
“What no one else knows is that he broke it off yesterday. He was here waiting for me after shooting. He said he’d fallen in love with someone else.”
Which answered a lot of Tony’s questions about why she’d slept with him last night—and why she’d been crying. “I’m sorry.”
“Thanks.” She looked at her lap. “Okay. Biggest confidence now. I’m not sorry. Scott even said as he was leaving that someday I would be happy about it. That someday came a lot faster than I would’ve thought. It came today.”
“How can you get over it that fast?”
“I know it sounds heartless, and the rest of what I’m going to tell you won’t put me in a good light, either, but you deserve the truth, after all the trouble I’ve caused you.” She pushed herself up, moved to stand at the window.
He found he couldn’t sit still, either, so he joined her.
“It’s an incredible landscape, isn’t it?” she asked, apparently stalling. “Not lush but starkly beautiful, especially here, surrounded by the enormous red rocks.”
“Most beautiful in the whole country.”
“You’ve traveled a lot?”
“I did the rodeo circuit for about twelve years. It’s a nomadic kind of life. When it was time to settle down, there was no place for me but here.”
She nodded. “I’m looking to settle down myself.”
He waited, knowing she was working up to what she needed to say.
“It’s why I was marrying Scott. I wanted a home. Some stability.”
“You didn’t love him?”
“It’s…complicated.”
“I’ve got nothin’ but time, Margaret.”
“So, you’ve decided to call me Margaret? Trying to be different?”
“I’m thinking Margaret suits you.” Maggie was who the world