Love is a Battlefield (Seven Brides for Seven Mothers Book 1) Read online

  Chapter Fourteen

  The Mothers

  Ruby: You ready to head downstairs? I told Addie we’d meet her in the lobby at eleven.

  Libby: You go on. I have a couple of calls to make. I’ll text you to find out where you are when I’m done.

  Ruby: You’re afraid of her, aren’t you?

  Libby: I just think you’ll have more luck if you broach the subject by yourself. Once she’s committed to you, she won’t back out.

  Ruby: If you say so.

  Brogan

  “Where did she go?” I ask my brother after getting dressed.

  “She must have left with Billy.” He opens the front door. “I thought she was waiting out front, but they’re both gone.”

  “She’s something else, huh?”

  “What’s she doing here anyway?

  “She said something about helping Mom with a decorating emergency.”

  “What decorating emergency?” James wants to know.

  “You got me. The whole lodge was just redone two years ago. Why are you here?” I ask him, changing the subject. “I thought you’d be up to your eyeballs with harvesting.”

  James nods his head. “I am, but my delivery guy got held up at the dentist’s office, so I’m making the morning run. I brought up the restaurant’s order and then decided to come up and welcome you home.”

  “I haven’t spent much time with Mom, but I haven’t noticed anything off about her yet.”

  “I haven’t seen her in a week, but I’m telling you she’s been acting strange.”

  “I wouldn’t have come rushing home if I didn’t agree with you,” I tell him. “She’s been downright ambivalent toward me when I call. She didn’t even invite me to eat with her and the Coopers last night.”

  “I think Aunt Libby came out because she sensed the same thing we have,” he tells me in a voice full of concern.

  “Why bring Addison though?”

  James shrugs. “Got me. But she sure does enhance the scenery, so I’m not complaining.”

  “I’m thinking about looking around for a house in Spartan,” I say.

  “Because you’re worried about Mom?”

  That’s exactly why, but I don’t want to worry him until I know what’s up. “No, it just feels like it’s time to come home.”

  “It’ll be nice to have you around, bro. I’ve missed you.”

  “You mind dropping me at the lodge on your way out?”

  “Not at all. I left my truck behind the restaurant. I borrowed a golf cart to come up.”

  We don’t pass Addison and Billy on the way, so they either ran or they took an alternate route. There’s a reason we tell guests to stay on the marked trails. The last time I took the back path I got a nasty case of poison oak.

  We pull into the parking lot in time to see our mom tuck a slip of paper under James’s windshield wiper. She doesn’t look a day over fifty, though she’s lost a lot of her inner light since Dad died. She looks shorter and thinner, more vulnerable. Worry rises within me, and I fancy I can almost feel my dad standing next to me. I silently make him a promise that I’ll look after her in his stead.

  “Heya, Mom, what’s up?” James asks her.

  “I was just leaving you a note asking you to supper tonight. Does seven at the River’s Edge work for you?”

  “I should be able to make it by then. Will Addie and Aunt Libby be there?” He sounds super eager, and I’m guessing Aunt Libby isn’t the draw.

  “Of course,” she answers with a bright smile.

  “I assume you want me there as well,” I interject hastily. She’s acting like I’m not even here.

  “You can come if you want,” she replies. Wait a second, is she trying to set James up with Addison Cooper? Yeah, no. That’s not going to work for me.

  “Of course, I’ll be there,” I tell her quickly. Even though I’m not in the market for a relationship, I feel pretty strongly that I don’t want my brother doing any romancing in my stead.

  Addie and Billy walk up the gravel path next to the parking lot. They appear deep in conversation, and Addie even lets out a delighted sounding laugh.

  “How did you get on this trail from the cabin?” I call out, confused at seeing them there.

  “I cut a connecting path back up by the kissing tree. Figured folks might like more options.”

  “That’s nice of you, Billy. I’ll make sure to add it to the trail map,” my mom says.

  “Yes, ma’am.” He shyly lowers his eyes.

  “Do you need anything, Billy?” she asks. “The kitchen says you haven’t been down for food in ages.”

  “It’s summertime, I got plenty to eat off the land. Might come looking once the weather turns though.”

  “Good,” my mom tells him.

  Addison smiles kindly at Billy, “Thank you for showing me the way back to the lodge.” He bows to her slightly before turning around and heading back into the woods.

  Ignoring me and James, Addie tells Mom, “I hope I’m not late for our meeting.”

  “Not at all, dear. I was just on my way to the great room.” She reaches out to take Addie’s arm before strolling away from us.

  I’m starting to take offense at the way my mom is dismissing me. First, she says I can’t stay in the family quarters with her, then she neglects to invite me to dinner both last night and tonight, and now she walks away from me like I’m not even here.

  “I really am worried about Mom,” I tell my brother.

  He releases a loud snort. “Why, because she’s not acting like your being here is akin to the Second Coming?” He makes me sound like a real ass when he puts it like that. But, the truth is, that’s exactly why I’m concerned. Ruby Cavanaugh loves both of her sons equally, but ever since I moved out of Spartan she’s made a point of fawning over me when I’m home. It feels like that ship has sailed.

  “I’ll see you tonight, James,” I tell my brother before hurrying to follow behind my mom and Addison. I don’t care if I’m not invited to their little meeting, I’m going to join them and find out once and for all why Addie is in Oregon.

  Chapter Fifteen

  The Mothers

  Ruby: I’m about to tell Addie why she’s here. She’s just washing up after hiking in the woods.

  Libby: My daughter doesn’t hike.

  Ruby: She did this morning. Whoops, Brogan just came into the room. I’ve got him right where I want him, Libs. Now, to hook Addie.

  Libby: Sending prayers from upstairs. Let me know when you’ve got her, and I’ll come down and join you.

  Addison

  Billy Grimps is a genuinely nice man. Apparently, he went fishing with us once when I was little. The only thing I remember about that day was that I caught a huge steelhead and needed help reeling it in. Billy was that help.

  I’m curious to know more about him, like why does a homeless man live in the woods on the lodge property? Not to mention, why does he walk into the Cavanaughs’ fishing cabin like he owns it, and why is he welcome to get food from the restaurant whenever he wants?

  Looking in the mirror, I notice a few small bits of nature caught in my hair and some dirt smudged across my cheek. Even so, I look rested and rejuvenated. The little furrow that started developing between my eyebrows seems to have relaxed.

  I don’t bother retouching my makeup. I just quickly wash the dirt off my face and pick the twigs out of my hair before finger combing it back into a high ponytail. Then I head to the great room to find Aunt Libby.

  I spot Brogan first. That man is like a fungus. He will not go away.

  Aunt Libby is ignoring him and is texting someone on her phone. She looks up when I get to her side. “Can I order you something to eat while we talk, dear?”

  “No, thanks,” I tell her. “I’m just curious to find out why I’m here.”

  “Me, too,” Brogan mumbles. He’s sitting on a chair next to the sofa his mom is perched on.

  I ignore him and sit down next to Aunt Ruby. “The lodge
not only seems full, but it’s beautifully decorated. What could you possibly need my help with?”

  She’s quiet for a moment like she’s trying to line up her thoughts. Either that or she’s afraid to tell me why I’m really there. The latter option causes my stomach to churn.

  “The lodge is in great shape. It’s just that more and more people have been calling, interested in something called glamping. Have you ever heard of it?” she asks.

  “It’s glamour camping,” I tell her. Truthfully, it’s the only kind of camping I could see myself getting behind.

  She continues, “It seems to be all the rage among young professionals these days. There’s a place up by Sisters that offers it and from what I’ve heard, they’re booked nearly a year in advance.”

  “You want to offer glamping here at the Willamette Valley Lodge?” I ask. My chest suddenly feels as heavy as if an elephant plopped down on it.

  “I do.”

  “Why? I mean, if you’re already successful at what you do, why add more?”

  “We have the space, we have all of the amenities, why not stay current and beef up our menu?” she replies. “Plus, it would allow us to employ more local people.”

  “My mom made it sound like you were in the midst of a real crisis. She said that you needed my help to complete a project by Christmas.” Where is Mom anyway? She should be sitting right here where I can shoot her the hairy eyeball. I start to fantasize about getting on the next plane to Grand Cayman, right after giving Libby Cooper a piece of my mind.

  “She did?” Aunt Ruby asks before announcing, “I mean, of course she did. It is somewhat of a crisis. I’m just not at liberty to say what that is yet.”

  Something is definitely up.

  Brogan interrupts, “Where are you thinking about setting up a glamping site?”

  “We have those old cabins up near the fishing cabin. I thought that would be the ideal place,” she tells him.

  He visibly jolts. “No one has stayed in those in years. At this point they’re probably more shack than cabin.”

  “That’s why I want to do something with them now. I thought Addie could check them out and get a feel for what we’d need to do to make them worthy of the glamping title.”

  She’s got to be kidding! Before I can express my shock, Brogan lets out a great big boisterous that’s-the-most-ridiculous-thing-I’ve-ever-heard-of laugh. He sounds borderline hysterical.

  “What are you laughing at?” I demand.

  “I just can’t see you being interested in a project like this, that’s all.”

  “I’ve decorated resorts that specialize in all kinds of different things.”

  “Don’t be rude, Brogan,” Aunt Ruby admonishes her son. “Addison is an accomplished young woman known the world over for her innovative designs.”

  “I’m sure,” he says. “But she’s known for fancy five-star designs, not something like this.”

  “Are you saying I can’t do it?” More than anything, this gets my dander up. I am first and foremost a professional. “How about a little wager?” I ask him.

  “I’m game if you are. I bet you can’t spend a week up there without running home to New York.”

  I never said anything about staying up there. But instead of pointing that out, I knowingly and ill-advisedly declare, “I could do that in my sleep. In fact,”—and here’s where I totally lose my mind—“I raise your week to a month. What do you think about that?” There go my hardwood floors. Although my company will love it when I tell them I have a new client.

  “If you can do that, I’ll name the leading lady in my next book after you.”

  “I just bet you would, too. You’d probably kill her off in some horribly grizzly way like you did with Rebecca Saint in Dark Alley.” The smile that overtakes Brogan’s face is so radiant it’s glorious to behold. Dammit, I shouldn’t have said that.

  “You’ve read my books,” he accuses.

  “Someone left it on an airplane. I was bored to death and had nothing else to do.”

  He lists my options, “You could have slept or watched a movie or worked on your laptop …”

  “I should have done all of those things,” I tell him primly.

  “Yet you had to finish the book to know what happened to Rebecca Saint,” he gloats.

  I choose to ignore him and get back to the real argument. “If I win, I don’t want to be in your stupid book, I want you to hire me to decorate your house and give me carte blanche to do whatever I want to it. I get to pick out all the colors, all the furniture, everything. And you pay for it, no questions asked.” Another client to justify my time here.

  He looks rightly horrified. In my current mood I’d have everything painted hot pink and purple plaid before installing the thickest, most plush seventies throwback gold shag carpeting I could find. Then, I’d put clear plastic on all the furniture so he couldn’t sit on anything without sticking to it. I’m thinking lava lamps for lighting. Hundreds of them.

  “What do I get if I win?” he wants to know.

  “Whatever you want,” I tell him. I belatedly realize what a foolhardy thing that was to say. It’s a good thing I have no intention of losing this bet, even though I’ve just committed my entire month off to it. Gah!

  Aunt Ruby interjects, “You two are being ridiculous. This is only a job. Addie doesn’t even have to take it if she doesn’t want to.”

  I’m so annoyed at Brogan that I don’t grab onto the lifeline she’s offering. Instead, I declare, “Oh, I want it.” I turn to her son and continue, “You’d better be prepared to spend a fortune; I’m going to make you rue the day you second-guessed me.”

  “I’ll send housekeeping up to get one of the cabins ready for you,” Aunt Ruby nervously offers. She rushes off, leaving me practically foaming at the mouth.

  Brogan, on the other hand, appears borderline gleeful. “I hope those cougar dens aren’t nearby.”

  My blood turns icy cold as a deep chill runs through me. I totally forgot about the cougars. “I’ll be just fine,” I bald-faced lie. Just me and wild cats locked away in a remote cabin with no cell phone reception. What could possibly go wrong?

  Why, oh why, oh why did I let my anger at Brogan goad me into this insane wager?

  Chapter Sixteen

  The Mothers

  “Oh. My. God. You should have seen them!” Ruby shouts out before setting one foot through her front door.

  “Was there bloodshed?” Libby asks nervously.

  “Brogan bet Addie she couldn’t stay in one of those cabins for a week. She raised the bet to a month.”

  Making the sign of the cross, Libby replies, “She didn’t even want to come here for ten days. And that’s when she thought we were staying in the lodge.”

  “Don’t you see how perfectly this is working out?” Ruby claps her hands together like she’s just witnessed Queen perform live at the Royal Albert Hall.

  “No, no, no, Rubes. Addie needs all the bells and whistles to fall in love. I’m talking champagne, dancing, and luxury.”

  “You and Bob fell in love while roughing it during a camping trip,” Ruby reminds her friend.

  “Addie and Brogan aren’t me and Bob.”

  “Mother nature brings all kinds of people together, Lib. You’ve got to believe me. This is going to be epic.”

  Brogan

  Addison has no idea what she’s getting into. Nobody has stayed in those cabins for as long as I can remember. I wouldn’t do it. In fact, the fishing cabin is downright indulgence compared to where she’s going to be living.

  I have no idea how my mom is going to get one of those places cleaned up in time for her to move out there by tonight. Five housekeepers working for the next five hours couldn’t do it. I’m pretty confident I will have won this bet by tomorrow, and while that should make me happy, I find I’m looking forward to getting to know Addie in an environment devoid of modern-day distractions.

  While my mom is busy getting Addison’s accommodati
ons ready, I decide to head down to the stable and see if there are any available horses. A hard ride across the valley sounds like the perfect way to spend my day.

  I stop and tell Chris at the front desk what I’m up to in case my mom comes looking for me. She offers, “How about if I have the kitchen send a lunch down for you?”

  “Thanks, Chris, that sounds great.” Chris has been here since I was a kid. She’s like one of the family. Her daughter Megan is one of the zip-line instructors and her husband Dale oversees landscape maintenance.

  On the walk down to the stables I’m accosted by a slew of memories. My favorite was the time James and I took our horses out for a clandestine overnight excursion. We were grounded for two weeks when our folks found us.

  They searched for hours before discovering us at Cheater’s Ridge—so named for the poker games various farmhands used to play up there in the early part of the last century. Legend has it, a newcomer was accused of cheating and stealing fifty bucks from the other players. When the old timers discovered he marked the cards, they picked him up and threw him off the ridge into the rocky gorge below.

  James and I had become obsessed with old UFO movies when we were kids and decided the best way to contact aliens would be to camp on the highest point of our property. Even though we didn’t meet any E.T.s that night, we still had a great time.

  I walk into the twenty-horse stable—there were only ten when we were kids—and search out Jeet Fritz. He’s been the stableman here for the last twenty years. When he sees me, Jeet punches me on the shoulder and says, “Brogan, my man, long time, no see. You here for a ride?”

  “That would depend on whether you have a decent mount for me.”

  He grins and points to an old mare. “Daisy May is free.”

  “I could walk faster than Daisy May. Who else do you have?”

  “We’ve got Thunder Foot, but it’s been a while since you’ve been out. Not sure he’s the best choice.”