The Brazen (Calamity Montana)

MY JAW DROPPED SO low that a splash of hot tub water landed in my mouth. “He had an affair. With. Your. Wife?”

Pierce nodded. “Yes.”

“But . . .” I couldn’t even put this together. I couldn’t even fathom Gabriel doing this.

He’d loved Pierce. There was no mistaking it. For years he’d told me about his incredible and bright grandson. How could he have slept with Pierce’s wife? That type of betrayal was simply . . . impossible.

No. There had to be a mistake.

“He wasn’t the saint you made him out to be,” Pierce said. “Or . . . he wasn’t the man he made you see.”

“I just . . . I’m sorry.” Oh my God. “I’m so sorry. I-I had no idea.”

“No one did.”

Gabriel, how could you?

I didn’t doubt Pierce. There was too much raw emotion etched on his handsome face. Confiding this in me hadn’t been easy. For a man like him, confident and in control, it was probably like admitting weakness.

Except this was on Gabriel.

For the second time since I’d come here, I thought back to the moments I’d had with Pierce. I replayed them and saw them in an entirely new light. No wonder he’d been so harsh with me. He’d thought I was sleeping with Gabriel, just like his wife. No wonder he’d been so angry at his grandfather.

“How long?” I asked but before he could answer, I held up a hand. “No, wait. You don’t owe me any answers. It’s not my business.”

Pierce’s eyes softened. “If I didn’t want to tell you, I wouldn’t have. I’m not exactly sure. According to Heidi, it had only been going on for six months.”

“But you don’t believe her.”

“No.” He sighed. “She’d been coming to Montana for a few years. Most trips alone. Most trips I learned later had been timed when he’d been here too. Maybe it really was nothing. I never pressed for details.”

I wouldn’t have either. Some people might want every tidbit of information to ease the sting or make sense of it, but in that position, I wouldn’t want to know a damn thing.

The affair was enough.

Opening my mouth, I was ready to release a string of questions, but I stopped myself.

“What?” Pierce asked.

“It’s nothing.”

“Go ahead, Kerr.”

I really liked that he’d started calling me Kerr. Couldn’t we rewind the last hour? Go back to the kiss in the kitchen and forget this madness with Gabriel and Heidi? Except it was out there now and I couldn’t think about anything else.

I mean . . . what the hell? This was daytime soap opera material.

Pierce shifted, leaning deeper into the side of the hot tub. Then he stretched those roped and sculpted arms along the back as he reclined in the water, tipping his head to the ceiling. “I haven’t talked about it much.”

“I don’t blame you for that.”

“But maybe I should.”

I sat perfectly still, waiting. If he wanted to talk about it, I’d listen. If he didn’t, that was okay too. Even though it felt like I’d known him for years, we were just getting to know one another.

“He always kept in shape,” Pierce said. “He was always with younger women. I didn’t think anything of it. That was how he was my entire life. Why would I ever worry that my own grandpa would be a threat?”

“Or that your wife would cheat on you.” At this point, I was livid with them both.

Pierce scoffed. “Exactly.”

“Can I ask . . . how old is she?”

“Thirty-one.” The same age as he was.

“So that’s . . .” I started doing the math in my head. Gabriel had been in his sixties when we’d met and that had been nearly ten years ago.

“He had my mom young. My mom had me young. He was seventy-five when he died.”

Seventy-five and thirty-one. My head was spinning.

Gabriel had always been a handsome man, the definition of a silver fox. He’d looked much younger than a typical seventy-five-year-old man. But a forty-something-year age difference? It would have bothered me even if the woman involved hadn’t been his grandson’s wife.

How could Gabriel do this? That was not the man I knew. He’d always acted with such integrity, but maybe Pierce was right. Maybe I’d put him on a pedestal. Or maybe he’d let me.

Maybe both.

“I caught them,” Pierce said.

There went my jaw dropping again. “No.”

“In my own house, if you believe it. The cliches in this twisted scenario are endless. But I came home early from work one day. Heidi and I . . . we’d been having problems.”

“Like the fact that she was sleeping with your grandfather?”

“To name one of many.” Pierce chuckled. “We’d been talking about a divorce. It wasn’t like our marriage was perfect, and that was on us both. But I never would have cheated.”

“So you caught them.”

“In my own fucking bed.” He shook his head. “Took me a minute to even realize what I was seeing.”

No wonder he hated Gabriel. Coming home to talk to your estranged wife only to find your grandfather in your bed . . .

“She says she didn’t mean to fall in love with him. Whatever the hell that means.”

“Do you think she loved him?”

Pierce ran a palm over his beard as he considered my question. “At first, I thought she was just saying it. Making an excuse.”

“And now?”

“I think maybe she did love him. After the divorce, they stayed together.”

Had that picture I’d found been taken by Gabriel? Heidi had looked so happy. A woman at ease with her companion, enjoying a vacation. “Do you think he loved her?”

“I don’t know.” He shrugged. “He never loved his girlfriends. Told me that with each one it was casual. He’d admit that he liked having a pretty face in his bed. But after I caught them, he didn’t call it off. He knew I was furious. He knew I wouldn’t speak to him again. But he stayed with her regardless. That doesn’t say casual to me.”

Me neither.

The pain in Pierce’s voice was hard to hear.

Gabriel had fallen in love with his grandson’s wife.

“Did you talk to him?” I asked.

He shook his head. “He tried to call and visit. I refused him.”

And now Gabriel was gone. Whatever questions he had would go forever unanswered, whatever grudge wouldn’t be settled.

“After Heidi and I divorced, she moved into his home in Denver. We sold our place and I moved into the penthouse at my building. She was with him . . . in the plane crash.”

I gasped. “W-what?”

“They died together.”

My hand came to my mouth. “Pierce, I’m . . .”

Oh, God. He’d lost his grandfather and his ex-wife. Even if he had hard feelings for Heidi, they’d been married. He’d loved her. Maybe he still did. And she was gone too.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered.

He turned to the darkness, giving me his profile. “So am I.”

The only sound for minutes and minutes was the gentle hum of the hot tub and the whirl of the jets.

Finally, Pierce tore his eyes away from the night and gave me a sad smile. “I don’t tell you this so you’ll hate him. I just want you to have the truth.”

“I know.”

Gabriel’s image had tarnished but I didn’t hate him. I was angry at him, on Pierce’s behalf. But I still loved the man who’d believed in me.

“I just want to get on with my life,” he said.

“Is that why you’re selling this place?”

He nodded. “This is a fantastic house. I still love it. But it’s strange to be here and know they were here together.”

“Uh, yeah. I’m guessing that’s why you’re sleeping in the guest suite.”

“I need to clean out his things from the master. I went in there when I first got here. That’s where I found Heidi’s picture. Other than tossing it out, I haven’t been able to do more.”

I gave him a sad smile. “I can help. It’s not like I have much else to do.”

“You know . . . I think I might take you up on it.” His shoulders sagged. “It’s been months since I found out. Months since the divorce. You’d think that should be plenty of time for me to get my head around it and walk into a room.”

“Sometimes it’s not as easy as just having time. You had no closure. And now they’re both gone.”

He studied my face for a moment, then closed his eyes. “I’ve been avoiding it. I’ve been avoiding everything where they are concerned. Other than his demands in his will, I haven’t really spoken about their affair.”

“Does your mom know?”

“She does.” Pierce huffed a laugh. “When I told my parents, they shared this look, like they weren’t surprised.”

“Do you think they knew about it?”

“No. They would have told me. But I think they saw the signs that I missed. I can see them now. The looks. The laughs. The inside jokes. I always thought Heidi just loved him because he was, well . . .”

“Gabriel,” I finished.

“People loved him. Fiercely. They hated him too, just as passionately. But when he was in the room, he commanded attention simply by being.”

“You have that about you too. I don’t know if anyone has ever told you that, but you’re rather commanding yourself.”

He chuckled. “You say that like a compliment. Nellie has said the same thing but it’s not quite as endearing.”

I giggled. “It’s a compliment.”

“Then I thank you.” He dipped his chin, then locked his gaze with mine, holding it so long that it became hard to breathe.

It was like staring at an entirely new person. These past few months, Nellie had made comments about Pierce not being himself. How many times had she told me to give him a chance? To wear him down? She knew what he’d been dealing with and how devastating it must have been.

“Have you ever been married?” he asked.

I shook my head. “Engaged. But it fell apart.”

“Mind if I pry?”

“I’ve been poking into your personal life, so it only seems fair.”

“What happened?”

I lifted a hand out of the water and traced a fingertip over the rippled surface. “He called it off five days before the wedding. Went out for his bachelor party, got drunk and hooked up with a woman from a bar.”

Pierce hissed. “Son of a bitch.”

“I was pregnant.”

The air stilled at my admission. The steam stopped swirling. The snow stopped falling.

I wished I could swallow up my words and bury them again.

“I’ve never told anyone that,” I confessed.

“Why?”

“Because the same day the wedding was called off, I had a miscarriage.”

“Fuck. Kerrigan, I’m sorry.”

“It was for the best.” I kept drawing circles on the water, unable to look at him.

Why had I told Pierce? Why? My mother, my father, my sister, not even my friends knew about the pregnancy. Literally no one knew because the day I’d found out, three hours after a positive pregnancy test, my ex-fiancé had come to my apartment and told me about his bachelor party. Later that night when I’d started bleeding, I’d gone to the emergency room alone.

“My ex had a long list of excuses,” I said. “I’m not sure which, if any, I believe. He wasn’t ready to settle down after all. He hadn’t explored the world yet. He didn’t want to move to Calamity.”

The entire experience had been humiliating. My only saving grace was that the wedding had been in Bozeman. Word had definitely gotten around Calamity that my engagement had been called off, but at least the event hadn’t been planned in my hometown. In a way, it had removed me some from the gossip circle.

And I hadn’t had to worry about getting a pitiful look from a nurse or doctor after the miscarriage.

“How long ago?” Pierce asked.

“Eight years. We got engaged my senior year of college and were going to get married the summer after graduation.”

I’d mourned my lost pregnancy more than I’d mourned my broken engagement. That day had been the single worst day of my life. On my bad days, I always reminded myself that I’d survived much worse.

“Does it still hurt?” Pierce asked. The raw edge to his voice made me want to swim across the hot tub and pull him into my arms.

I clasped the bench seat under the water and stayed put. “Yes and no. The miscarriage, yes. The wedding, not really. It was embarrassing. Any time I think about the phone calls I had to make and the money my parents spent for a wedding that didn’t happen and the dress I still have in my closet, then it stings. But that’s my pride, not my heart. Besides, it wouldn’t have been a happy marriage.”

Content, but not happy. I wasn’t settling for contentment. I wanted love. I wanted passion. I wanted a man who stole my breath when he walked into the kitchen. Who kissed me and made the world melt away. Who would make every day an adventure.

“He wasn’t the man for me. I see that now. But that’s a realization eight years in the making. We all heal at our own pace.”

Pierce looked at me so intensely that the heat from his gaze made the water feel cold. “You’re a wonder, Ms. Hale.”

“I’m just me, Mr. Sullivan.”

He grinned and shook his head. “How about a lighter subject?”

“Please.” I laughed.

“Tell me more about Calamity. I’m intrigued.”

“What do you want to know?”

“Anything.”

“Nearly my entire family lives there,” I said. “If you ever meet my grandfather, he’ll tell you all about how the Hales have been in Calamity since Calamity was Panner City.”

“Panner City. A gold rush town?”

“It was. At its peak, there were almost three thousand miners living in the area. Then came the calamities.”

“Hence the name. What happened?”

“The mine collapsed in Anders Gulch and killed a bunch of the miners. There was a flood from a heavy spring storm that washed out most of the smaller claims and panning sites. According to the records, it dried out hot and fast and a fire spread through the town and camp. And then that same summer, there was a lightning storm that caused a herd on the range to stampede. The mining was fairly nonexistent after that. Not to mention there wasn’t enough gold in the area to rebuild. Most of the miners moved on. But some stayed, including Andrew Hale, who had seven sons, one of whom was my great, great, great grandfather.”

“Very interesting.”

“I probably have the greats mixed up.” I always added one too many or was one too short. “My dad could tell you exactly how I’m related and the lineage.” It was impossible to keep track. There were aunts and uncles and cousins—first, second and third. Dating was a struggle, not only because there were so few single men in Calamity, but because some of the few available men were also relatives.

“What does your family do?” he asked.

“My dad runs the car dealership in town. A bunch of family members work there, unlike me, much to his dismay.”

“You don’t want to sell cars for a living?”

I smirked. “No, thank you. I’ll stick to my properties, The Refinery and maybe a new blog.”

“I have no doubt you’ll be successful.” His voice held ten times the confidence I felt.

“Really?”

“Really,” he said. “I owe you an apology.”

“For what?”

“For being an ass. I should have heard you out. But I was angry about my grandfather. I assumed you two—”

I held up a hand and cringed. “Don’t say it.”

Pierce laughed and the smile that stretched across his mouth was breathtaking. I hadn’t seen him smile enough. Before I left this cabin, I wanted to earn at least one more. “I’m excited to see what you do.”

“Thank you.” My toes bounced in the water at the rush of nerves and excitement. Becoming a successful influencer was a long shot. Most likely, I’d fail and end up selling a property to pay Pierce back. But it would be thrilling to try.

Pierce raised a hand and inspected his fingertips. “I’m becoming a raisin.”

I mimicked him, checking my own skin. “Me too.”

He surged across the hot tub and for a moment, I held my breath, hoping he’d invade my space and press that hard body against mine. But he shifted at the last minute, stepping onto the bench seat and shoving out of the water.

I swallowed a groan, then turned and stepped out. The winter air rushed over my heated skin and the snow around the pool nipped at the soles of my feet. I tiptoed to the door, leaving Pierce to hit the button to close the cover on the hot tub.

The moment I was inside, I swiped up one of the towels I’d brought out from the bathroom, wrapping myself in the plush, white sheet. I covered my body in time to watch Pierce walk through the door and grab the other towel, bringing it to his face.

Water cascaded down the broad plane of his chest. Drops trickled over the sinewed muscles of his arms. I wanted to trace them all with my tongue. In all my life, I’d never seen a man in real life with a body that belonged on magazine covers or in Hollywood movies.

He toweled off his torso, then wrapped the sheet around his waist.

It instantly brought back the image of him the day I’d come up to scatter Gabriel’s ashes. Him in a towel, his abs on display and that V of his hips.

I tore my gaze away before it could drift any lower—and found his eyes locked on my breasts.

His Adam’s apple bobbed as he stared, unabashedly.

Pierce didn’t want a relationship. There was no fault in that. It was too soon after his divorce and the drama that had come with it. In his place, I wouldn’t want a relationship either, especially not one where business was involved.

And I wasn’t looking for a relationship either, right? Well, maybe. But not with Pierce. He lived two states away.

Did that mean we couldn’t have fun? That we couldn’t explore this chemistry between us?

How long had it been since a man had stared at me with such lust? Such hunger? Pierce looked at me like he wanted to devour me whole.

I’d let him.

He jerked out of his trance, forcing his eyes across the room. He raised a hand and rubbed the back of his neck. “How about some wine?”

I managed a nod.

Clothing would be better. Lots and lots of clothing. My only bra was soaked. So were my panties, and not just from the water.

But did I take my leave to get dressed? Nope. I followed him into the kitchen and didn’t make myself keep three stools between us.

Pierce walked to the wine fridge and chose a bottle. Then he uncorked it, poured us each a glass and handed one over.

“Cheers.”

I clinked the rim of my glass to his. “Cheers.”

The wine was dry and rich and smooth. The flavor burst on my tongue, except all I could think about was Pierce’s taste. How his tongue had tangled with mine in this very room.

I met his dark gaze and nearly came undone with the desire in those endless pools.

He raised his glass to his lips, taking a long drink. Then he set the glass aside and closed his eyes. “Damn, I want to kiss you.”

Oh, how I wanted to be kissed.

He opened his eyes and the restraint was there, as obvious as his bare skin on display.

Pierce inched closer, raising a hand to tuck a lock of hair behind my ear. His fingertips left a trail of tingles in their wake. Then he leaned forward, just an inch.

I held my breath, tilting up my chin. Waiting.

But he didn’t kiss me. At least, not on the mouth. He pressed his lips to my forehead, then took a step past me, padding out of the kitchen. “Good night, Kerrigan.”

No. “Wait.”

I cringed at the desperation in my voice. But if I left this cabin, if I left this man without at least one more kiss, I’d regret it for years.

Pierce stopped, his hands fisting at his sides as he turned. “I am hanging on by a thread here, babe.”

“What if I wanted you to kiss me? What if you did? What if you let go of that thread for as long as we’re stranded together? What if—”

I didn’t get to finish. In a flash, Pierce closed the distance between us.

And answered my questions with a kiss.