Trixie saw an opening and went for it. “In that case, I wonder if you have any contacts with other facilities in Maryland, DC, or Virginia that might be interested in using my services.”
Jordan opened her desk drawer and pulled out a document. “Actually, Tempest and I talked about that, too. I took the liberty of putting together a list.” She slid it across the desk. “We girls need to stick together.”
“We sure do, so if you need help choosing a wedding date or anything, let me know. My friend is a wedding gown designer. Maybe you’ve heard of him. Jax Braden?”
“Are you kidding? He’s a legend in this town, and he’s on top of my list. By the way, I love your dress—the lines and the detail are exquisite.”
“Thank you. Jax’s twin, Jillian, designed it. She has a boutique here in town.”
“I don’t live here in town, but on my way to work I pass by Jillian’s Boutique. Is that hers?”
“Yes, that’s it.”
“The designs in the windows are always gorgeous.”
“Sounds like you have an eye for fashion.”
Jordan shrugged, smiling. “Old loves die hard, I guess. Why don’t I take you on a tour of the facility and we can chat while we walk?”
“I’d love that. Before we go, here’s my business card.” As she handed Jordan the card, her heart swelled anew at Nick’s thoughtfulness. She didn’t know what was up between Jordan and her fiancé, but if Nick were in New York, Trixie would be on the next train out of town.
Chapter Twenty-One
NICK HAD BEEN more focused on waiting for his phone to ring than working for the past two hours. As much as he usually resented being tied to the damn thing, he didn’t feel that way at all. He was anxious to hear about how Trixie’s meeting had gone. He’d managed to keep himself busy doing menial work around the ranch, but it hadn’t distracted him from thoughts of her. He leaned on the fence around the corral where the minis were hanging out. They were cute little buggers. He’d put Snickers in with them, and all five got along beautifully. Annabelle and Buttons meandered over, and Nick petted them.
“Hi, guys. Missing your mama? Me too.” Nick knew he’d have to get used to that in a few weeks. Alfie brushed against his leg, and he reached down to love him up, too. “She’s out paving the way to make you guys into stars. If anyone can do it, she can. You’re lucky to have her, you know.” He looked at Prince standing in the shade of a tree and whistled, patting his leg, remembering too late that Prince, like the others, hadn’t been with them long enough to know his signals yet.
Since when did I become a them?
He headed over to Prince and crouched beside the gorgeous black gelding. “What’s happening, buddy? Just need a little space? I get that way, too. Well, not so much anymore. Your mama’s kinda turning my world upside down.”
Prince sighed.
You got that right. Women…Nick scratched behind Prince’s ears. “She’s not like anyone else. She’s the best there is.”
His phone rang, and his heart freaking skipped. She was turning him upside down all right. He whipped his phone from his pocket, and Beau’s name flashed on the screen. Nick tried to mask his disappointment as he answered the call. “Hi, Beau.”
“Hi. What’re you up to?”
Nick pushed to his feet. “I was just having a conversation with one of Trixie’s miniature horses.”
Beau laughed. “I guess I can’t make fun of you anymore since my wife talks to blow-up dolls and chickens.” Charlotte was an erotic romance writer, and she used blow-up dolls to work out the mechanics for some of her scenes.
Nick thought about how Trixie talked with the chickens when they collected eggs in the mornings and felt himself smiling.
“Jilly called, trying to wrangle Char into a matchmaking scheme for Walt,” Beau said, drawing Nick from his thoughts.
“I swear those girls work faster than the speed of light. How’s married life?”
“Five stars. Highly recommended.”
Nick chuckled. “Then you owe me one, since I had to just about kick your ass to get your head out of it.”
“Like hell you did.”
“Seriously, bro?” He petted Prince’s head and made his way to the gate.
“That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.”
“Idiot.”
Beau laughed. “It’s good to see Trixie hasn’t made you soft.”
“Shit. That woman makes every man in a ten-mile radius hard.”
“Dude, you’re talking about your girlfriend.”
“Damn right I am.” He rolled girlfriend over in his mind. “That’s a first.”
“What’s that?”
“Girlfriend.”
“Bullshit. How about Tennessee?”
“You knew about her?”
“You went out there twice when I came home to visit from college. Did you really think I wouldn’t notice?”
Nick took off his hat and wiped his brow. “I guess I never thought about it.”
“I noticed, Nick. The same way I noticed that when I left for college, you kept your promise to look after Tory.”
Nick’s muscles tensed. He’d stopped by Tory’s house several times during the first few weeks after Beau had left for college, when she’d been so sad, he knew she’d need a shoulder to lean on. After she got over the worst of it, when he’d heard she was going to parties, he’d always stopped by in case she needed a ride home. She was Beau’s love, which had made her important to Nick, too.
“That was ages ago, Beau. No sweat.”
“I know, but I never said thank you, and it meant a lot to me. You gave me peace of mind so I could focus on school. And after the accident, you tried your damnedest to take care of me, too. You never gave up on me even though I was a broken jerk.”
“You weren’t a jerk.”
Beau scoffed. “Like hell I wasn’t. I gave you so much shit, but you never relented. You sought me out and tried to get me to let go of the guilt and come home so many times. I know I never showed it, but that meant the world to me. I needed that connection to our family even if I couldn’t grab hold of it. Thanks, man. I want you to know I appreciate you.”
Nick got choked up. “What’s going on that’s got you taking a stroll down memory lane? You’re not sick, are you?”
“No. It’s you, man. You gave up your life to take care of everyone else, and now you’re finally doing something for yourself. You’ve got a girlfriend, and that’s big news in this family. It’s hard to believe someone finally roped you in.”
“I have a feeling she roped me in long before I had any idea what she was up to.”
“That’s a good thing, right? You’re not going to break Trixie’s heart, are you? As close as all our girls are, you’re liable to start a riot.”
“I’m the guy who wouldn’t let you break Char’s heart and wouldn’t let Zev disrespect Carly when they were young. Why the hell would you even ask me that?”
“Because you’ve got an attitude bigger than your ranch, and it worries me. Relationships change things.”