Forever After (Montana Brides, Book 3) Read online

  “That was nearly eleven years ago.” Crossing her arms in front of her chest, she scowled at her devious sister. “And the only reason I passed with flying colors was because I ignored everyone around me and took my frustration out on the wooden floors.”

  “It worked then, it’ll work today. Think positive.”

  “Positive my ass,” Nicky muttered.

  Emily parked under a tall maple tree. Grabbing their bags, she started walking toward the entrance.

  Nicky closed her door and stood beside the truck, watching other people head across the parking lot. Their happy chatter made her feel even more miserable.

  Her sister looked over her shoulder. “Sulking won’t help, you know.”

  Nicky whipped her sunglasses off. One look at her face and Emily started running toward the Emerson like the hounds of hell were nipping at her feet.

  Chasing her cowardly sister across the parking lot, Nicky yelled, “I’m going to wring your skinny little neck.” Her long legs flew over the black asphalt, aiming straight for the ball of bright red hair dodging parked vehicles.

  Emily disappeared inside the Emerson Center, swallowed whole by a three foot high floral arrangement sitting beside the glass doors.

  “Nicky? Is that you screaming like a fish monger’s wife?”

  “Mrs. Dobbs.” Nicky screeched to a halt under a towering ceiling. Sucking in a deep breath, she stared at the five-foot-nothing matron standing in front of her. “It’s nice to see you again.”

  “You look a little…over excited.”

  Pursed lips and beady eyes stared back at Nicky. The woman reminded her of one of the black magpies that squawked outside her apartment. Nicky felt like shooing her out of her way.

  A flash of red caught her eye. Emily waved from across the foyer, grinning from ear to ear. “Excuse me, Mrs. Dobbs. My sister needs me.” Nicky bolted across the room, stopping just inside the door where Emily had been standing. “Oh-My-God.”

  Emily smiled. “Stunning, isn’t it.”

  Hundreds of seats were arranged around the longest catwalk Nicky had ever seen. The ceiling was a huge black void of space, the perfect backdrop for the crystal chandeliers sparkling from hidden spotlights. White taffeta hung along the walls, draped in elegant folds and ending in a glossy sheen against the floor.

  People scurried around the room, moving fast, getting ready for the show.

  A short man dressed in a black suit and red bow tie rushed toward them. “Emily, you made it at last. You must go now to the changing area. We are waiting for you.”

  “Flavio, this is my sister, Nicky. She’s modeling my designs.”

  “Buon giorno, Nicky. You must go now. Veloce!”

  Nicky smiled as he waved them toward the far end of the room.

  “Flavio’s the king of the catwalk. He organizes most of the big fashion shows in Montana.” Emily pulled a heavy velvet curtain open. “Welcome to chaos.”

  Nicky stared at the women packed into the backstage area. Models shimmied into their clothes and designers fussed over loose threads and stuck zips. Panicked voices rose above idle chatter, hunting for lost accessories and missing outfits. If this was the rehearsal, she dreaded to think what the actual show was going to be like.

  “I grabbed two pairs of shoes from the stuff you left at mom and dad’s place on your last visit.” Emily disappeared under a rack of dresses. “Here, take these.” White strappy sandals and a pair of black high heels dangled from her fingertips. “Your two dresses are on the end of this stand. Wear the black one first.”

  A model walked past looking like a powder-puff fairy. Layers of gold tulle peeked out from beneath a pink satin skirt. The tight bodice, crisscrossed in gold thread, glittered under the florescent lights. But the best part of the whole outfit wasn’t the transparent silk wings fluttering behind the model, or the outrageous beehive of hot pink hair stacked on her head. It was her makeup. Her face was a swirling rainbow of color, jewels and glitter, worthy of the most exotic fairy in the world.

  “Gorgeous, isn’t she?” Emily moved beside Nicky, watching the fairy weave through crowd. “My friend Carol entered the dress in the fantasy section of the show. Now get a move on otherwise Flavio isn’t going to be impressed.”

  Nicky walked to the end of the rack, hunting through the named hangers for Emily’s outfits. The two dresses were beautiful. She swallowed, rubbing her sweaty palms along the side of her jeans. This was only a rehearsal. She could do this.

  ***

  Four hours later, Nicky wasn’t sure she’d even make it as far as the runway curtains.

  “Wow. You look incredible,” Emily said.

  Nicky glanced down at the black silk and lace dress clinging to her body. “I feel like I should be visiting royalty, not trying to stay upright in front of four hundred people.”

  Emily squeezed her hands. “Look at me, Nicky Scotson. The dress rehearsal was perfect. I’ve seen you walk in higher heels than these and never falter once.”

  Nicky nodded. Her legs shook as she grabbed Emily’s hands in a death grip. Her worst nightmare was about to come to life. Parading in front of her stepmom’s peers, being judged by what she was wearing and how perfectly her makeup was applied made her stomach twist into tight knots.

  “Flavio will tell you when to hit the runway, just like he did this morning. Keep your head high and look straight ahead. Maurice is waiting down the other end. When he waves at you, turn and walk back toward Flavio.”

  Nicky took a deep breath. She could do this. She’d ignore everything around her and concentrate on Flavio and Maurice, her two runway angels. “Okay. I’m ready.”

  Nicky glanced at the line of models waiting behind the curtain. She looked for the woman wearing the strapless, flaming red sequined gown that she’d stood behind in the rehearsal.

  She tried not to gawk at the model. Her ponytail had been replaced with a straight fall of black hair, cut at shoulder length in a blunt asymmetrical design. There wasn’t one freckle left on her nose or one dark smudge under her eyes. Glamour, sophistication and a good concealer cream were out in force. Shuffling forward, Nicky counted how many models were in front of her. Six.

  The music changed to the classical piece she’d strut down the runway to. Her heart hammered against her ribs. Two more models disappeared through the curtains.

  Flavio waved the next model down the runway.

  Three. Taking a deep breath, she rolled her shoulders, trying to ease the tension stretching her nerves to the limit.

  Two. She needed to use the bathroom.

  One. The flaming red dress disappeared.

  Go.

  ***

  Sam felt the vibration of his cell phone is his pocket. He glanced at Maureen, then across at the models parading in front of him. He shouldn’t answer it, but man, he was tempted. It was probably Cody, checking up to see how his afternoon’s entertainment was going. He’d been sitting in the ballroom at the Emerson Center for the last hour. Sixty long minutes of watching a line of women move like robots along the runway.

  He was bored. Bored senseless. He didn’t particularly care about fall fashion colors or the latest flounce that defined next season’s style. But he did care about a long legged blonde who’d be making her runway debut sometime this side of Christmas.

  “Nicky should be out soon,” Maureen whispered. “I hope she’s not too nervous.”

  His heartbeat kicked up a notch.

  Maureen picked her program up for the tenth time, ticking models off as they strutted past their seats. “That was Giovanna Leagio’s dress. She studied at the same design school as Emily and now she’s got her own boutique in New York.”

  Sam nodded, only half-listening to Maureen’s monologue. Scotson Construction were one of the main sponsors of the annual charity fashion show. Each year he’d sat through the entire production, presenting an award at the end. The saving grace at this year’s show would be seeing Emily’s designs. And Nicky.

  Emily
must have worked overtime to get her sister on the catwalk. He knew how much Nicky hated being the center of attention, especially if it involved clothes. He glanced around the room. The local media were out in full force with their cameras and notebooks, taking shots that would make the front page of the newspapers. Nicky couldn’t have chosen a more high profile event to make her modeling debut if she’d tried.

  “There she is. Doesn’t she look amazing?”

  He looked up. His breath caught in his chest at the exotic creature moving gracefully along the runway. Black silk clung to Nicky’s body, molding every curve like a lover’s caress. A fitted lace jacket sparkled under the spotlights. Her hair had been swept into a soft roll at the back of her head, adding to the grace and simplicity of the gown. As she reached the end of the runway she slipped the jacket off her shoulders, revealing a strapless bodice that plunged down her back and barely skimmed her breasts. Heat pulsed through his body as his gaze roamed over her shoulders and down her back, remembering the feel and taste of her body beneath his.

  “I’m so proud of my girls.” Maureen dabbed a tear from her eye.

  Sam shook his head as Nicky disappeared from view. His gaze stayed locked on the runway curtains. “When does Nicky come back out?”

  He could hear Maureen counting through the models in her program. “There’s four more designs left in the evening wear section. Nicky’s the eighth model in the daytime category.”

  He waited in silence as more women sauntered past them. None of the designs inspired him. Only one woman could do that, and she didn’t want anything to do with him.

  He’d never been the type of person to back down from a challenge. And Nicky not only challenged him, she infuriated the hell out of him. After today he was determined to get to the bottom of whatever issues were racing around her beautiful head. What they’d shared together was amazing. What they could have would be even better.

  ***

  Nicky closed her eyes, tilting her head to catch the last warm rays of the sun. The smell of honey-glazed spare ribs cooking on the barbecue made her smile. She could hear her father laughing at one of Cody’s jokes with granddad, and the chatter of Maureen and Emily, talking about the fashion show. If she tried really hard, she could almost pretend this was just another family barbecue. Except for the birthday boy.

  “Mind if I join you?”

  She opened one eye, trying to control the surge of heat hitting her body. “Help yourself.”

  She watched through half closed eyes as Sam lowered his body into the chair beside hers. He sat back, totally at ease with the world.

  In two seconds flat, her peaceful snooze in the sun had been shattered. Her leg twitched, wanting to bolt as far away as possible from Sam Delaney.

  “Ask me a question, Nicky. At least then you’ll give the impression of being civil.” He sounded grumpy.

  Sitting upright, she glared at the long length of him soaking up the sun. He didn’t look annoyed, in fact he looked positively stress free. Leaning her elbows on her knees, she decided to treat him like a work colleague, instead of the off limits exclusion zone she’d created.

  “Okay,” she sighed. There must be some incredibly intelligent question she could ask that didn’t show how frazzled her brain was. “Umm…What did you think of the fashion show?”

  A lazy smile slipped across his face. “When did you realize I was there?”

  “Maureen waved her hand when I walked past in the black evening gown.” There was no point telling him his gaze had slammed into her body with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. She’d barely caught Maurice’s hand signal before heading back to Flavio, waiting impatiently for his girls to return to the backstage area.

  Once she’d disappeared behind the curtain there’d been no time for daydreaming. Emily had rushed her across the room, helping her out of the evening gown and into the daytime outfit. The soft summer dress had floated around Nicky’s legs as she’d moved down the runway, causing quite a stir amongst the fashion divas.

  “The fashion show was okay,” he said. “I liked both of Emily’s dresses, but the one you’ve got on is my favorite.”

  She didn’t need to look at him to feel the heat in his gaze.

  “Here, Nicky.”

  She jumped as Emily jammed something on her head. “You’ll get burned if you sit outside without a sunhat on. How far away are you with the meat, dad?”

  “Five minutes.”

  Emily yelled toward the house, “Five minutes, mom,” then disappeared.

  “I’d offer to put sunscreen on you, but I’d probably get growled at.”

  Nicky glanced at Sam, trying to work out if he was serious or deluded. Pulling the hat more squarely onto her head, she decided deluded suited his mood better.

  “Come on sleepyhead. I’ve only got a few minutes to speak with you and I want to get this off my chest now.” Grabbing her arm, he hauled her from her seat.

  “What do you think you’re doing?”

  “What I should have done a week ago.” He smiled at the blush stealing down her neck. “Think nice thoughts, Nicky.”

  Sam led her down the steps beside the patio, stopping under the shade of an oak tree.

  “This isn’t necessary,” Nicky spluttered.

  “I disagree. I think it’s more than necessary. What happened between us doesn’t happen all the time. We’ve got something special and I’m not prepared to let your stubborn, mule-headedness stand in the way of a relationship between us.”

  The heat from his body surged between them. Crossing her arms in front of her chest, Nicky glared at him. “There is no relationship and I’m not stubborn. What happened was a mistake and it won’t happen again.”

  “Why not?”

  “You’re my boss.” Among other things. But she wasn’t going to mention the reckless urges that overrode common sense whenever he was around.

  “Only for the next four weeks,” he said.

  “And at the end of the four weeks I’m heading home, back to my company. There’s no point even thinking about anything happening between us.”

  “Forget about sex for a minute.”

  Nicky raised her eyebrows. “That’s exactly what I was thinking.”

  A dull blush raced along his cheeks. “If you think I can forget about what happened, you’re wrong,” he growled. “What we can do is learn to live with it and be friends. The wall you’ve built around yourself has to come down.”

  Staring out across her parents’ ranch, she tilted her nose in the air. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Silence filled the warm evening with prickles of attitude, skimming under her skin until she had no choice but to look at the man invading her personal space.

  Jamming his hands in his pockets, he glared at her. “I’m talking about barricading yourself in your office. You work over ten hours a day without speaking to anyone. The only time you come near me is when you need to report on your progress.”

  “That’s not true. I speak with plenty of people involved in my project. If this conversation’s about me not stopping by your office to flirt with the boss then you’re wasting your breath.” Crossing her fingers, she hoped he’d get annoyed enough to drop the subject like a cold fish.

  She knew exactly what he meant, but being friendly to him wasn’t going to work. Nicky was an all or nothing kind of woman. She wanted to give him everything, so she had no choice but to give him nothing.

  “No, it’s not about flirting with the boss,” he growled. “It’s about taking responsibility for your actions and treating people with respect. Have you been happy working with me?”

  Plastering a fake smile on her face, she glanced across at him. “Perfectly.”

  “I’m not giving up. You might be the most screwed up female I’ve ever met, but one of these days you’re going to come to your senses.” He moved in close until she could feel his breath against her face. “And I’ll be waiting.”

  Nicky’s heart raced
. She could feel the pulse at the base of her neck pounding against her skin. Hot brown eyes stared unblinkingly at her. Biting her lip, she tried to stem the rising panic threatening to overwhelm her. She stepped back, needing to get as much distance between their overheated bodies as she could manage.

  “Do you care about anything I’ve said?” he asked.

  Nicky moved around him and headed up the stone steps. “I’ll make an effort to be more pleasant.”

  A groan of frustration was the only reply she got.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  “Why are you asking for employee files?”

  Nicky looked up from her desk, frowning at the man standing in the middle of her office. “What are you talking about?”

  Crossing his arms in front of his chest, Sam kept staring at her. “You know very well what I’m talking about. Three files were requested. What’s going on?”

  “What’s going on is that you’ve barged into my office, looking for a fight. If you want to discuss this like two grown adults then have a seat and we’ll talk. Otherwise I’m busy.”

  He marched across her office, yanking a chair close to her desk.

  Nicky took a deep breath. If the grim look on Sam’s face was any indication of the foul mood he was in, she’d need her all her wits about her to win this conversation. “How do you know what I requested? Have you been snooping through my work?” Pushing back from her desk, she swiveled in her seat, meeting his gaze head on.

  “I’m the chief executive of this company,” he growled. “I don’t snoop.”

  Putting her pen down, she crossed her arms in front of her chest. Two could play his game and she was an expert at follow the leader. “So maybe ‘snoop’ is too common a word. How about spying or even collecting corporate intelligence, if that makes you feel more comfortable?”

  Leaning forward, he glared some more. “What makes me feel comfortable is knowing exactly what you’re up to. You never mentioned in your report three days ago that you were looking at specific staff.”

  “That’s because three days ago I wasn’t looking at specific staff.”

  “Don’t get smart with me, Nicky Scotson. I know how that brain of yours works. Pulling staff records means you’re getting ready to nail someone for fraud.”