It was after 9 when the meeting finally ended. They'd brought meals in. Brett wanted to go talk with Maisey, he didn't want things to be ignored, but now they were all headed to the bar for a drink and his phone was dead.
She was going to be pissed.
"I think I'll pass," he told Tony, but the other nan stopped him, "you're still earning your place with them," Tony said softly, "call her and explain."
"My phone is dead, let me borrow yours," Brett hissed back. He swore when Tony shook his head and showed him it was dead too.
He allowed himself to be dragged into the hotel bar and sat down with a glass of sprite at the bar. A steady flow of people talked with him, but his heart wasn't in the social side of things. A blonde woman with a tight dress and a pink cowboy hat kept trying for his attention and he kept brushing her off. The other cattleman--married or not, he noticed-- weren't bothered by the attentions of other women: his respect for these men went down. He finally caught Tony's eye and left the bar.
He breathed the fresh air deeply, walking the three blocks to the secure building she lived in and buzzed her door. There was no answer. He frowned and tried again. When he still got no response he buzzed Terri-Lee. She met him at the door of her apartment with a frown. "Do you have a charger?" he asked, "my things are upstairs and Maisey isn't answering..." he trailed off as she pointed at his suitcase.
"Don't even try it, " Terri-Lee snapped, "you've undone everything! She's not returning my calls."
"I don't understand. Our meeting went until 9 and then the president wanted everyone to go for a drink. My phone was dead, Tony's was dead and I had to go for an hour."
"You know she doesn't abide drinking and cheating."
Brett's head snapped up: "I never touched a drop of alcohol and I never touched anyone." Terri-Lee held up a photo of the blonde draped on him, he groaned, "she wouldn't leave me alone, but I swear on my aunt's life I did nothing and told her to leave me alone."
Terri-Lee softened, "Well, the damage is done," she sighed. "She doesn't want to see you and she said she won't see me until you've left. She tried canceling tomorrow's launch she's so devastated."
There's nothing to be devastated for, he wanted to scream and go upstairs to force his way into her house. Jesse's face taunted him: if he forced his way in she'd see him as no better than her ex and his family but he couldn't leave without her knowing the truth. He remembered her key in his pocket and ignoring his good sense and Terri-Lee calling him back to leave it alone he rushed back onto the elevator and jammed his finger to the buttons: he had to take the chance she would listen.
The door to her apartment slipped open easily but she wasn't there. He searched for her and sat up waiting for her, desperate to explain, to have her hear the truth. He paced and cursed himself. Sun light in the windows woke him but there was still no sign of her. It was happening all over: she was leaving him without giving him a chance.
He found a sheet of paper and left her a note: Social obligation was the only reason I was there: I didn't drink and I didn't touch her. I love you, please come home.
He locked the door and left the key with Terri-Lee and took a cab to that day's cattleman's meeting.
Maisey waited for Brett to leave before coming out of the panic room--it was something she had been grateful for when Terri-Lee had insisted this was the right apartment for her. She'd listened to him rant and rail at himself through the sound system and had watched him through the cameras as he'd pace and waited until he fell asleep before she finally laid down on the single cot that was in the room. She wanted to believe him: had wanted to go to him but she was terrified it would be no different than with Luke. She couldn't allow herself to be duped into believing in something he said. Luke had made promises time and again: Maisey knew what she'd seen--he'd been at the bar with a woman who was all over him. She wasn't willing to be used again.
Absently she dressed and left her apartment, deciding to walk downtown for stampede celebrations before she would meet Terri-Lee at the bookstore. She might be upset with Brett and with Terri-Lee for setting this all up but the book signing was important. Squealing tires were the only warning she had before being thrown and pinned between the tires of a truck and the sidewalk. She tried to stay awake but she felt her eyes close and her last thought was that she hoped he knew she'd loved him.
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Brett listened to the various men of the cattleman's association, joined in discussions and wished Travis was here instead of him. Being a month sober wasn't enough to bring him back up to speed with his ranch. He'd hired Addie to sort out the cooking and cleaning again and gotten all the accounts back up to date. Travis was the one who'd truly been running the ranch.
There were discussions about cattle sales and prices of feed. Brett called Travis on the first break and asked him to come up. Brett asked the board to wait for Travis and after listening to his explanation and his apology they went on an extended break until he arrived. He could hear sirens a few blocks away and hoped whatever had happened the people involved would be ok and walked downtown to the stampede celebrations. He saw his cousin nod approvingly at the decision and went for a walk to clear his head.
He ran into a furious Terri-Lee leaving a bookstore three blocks over. "I'd hate to be whichever client or enemy of your client you're about to tear into." He teased and his smile faded when her eyes narrowed, "she bailed?"
"Worse," Terri-Lee snapped, "She didn't show up and she's not taking my calls. This is her career and mine she's messing up with this immaturity."
"That doesn't sound like Maisey," Brett frowned.
"You barely know her," Terri-Lee snapped, "When she got here she couldn't even leave the apartment without that confounded dog, without having a complete breakdown." Brett winced, "I had to get the dog a service vest before she could be convinced to leave because the one time she did I found her vomiting and shaking in the bathroom. I hadn't seen that bad since the trial with Luke. She locked herself away and she's written 5 young reader books this year in addition to the books about her past and each one was so incredible they sold out on the release day--we went digital to help alleviate the demand issues and even still they would sell out. Today I had to explain to a room full of heart broken kids and teenagers that their favorite author wasn't coming and it's not like I could tell them why! The shopkeeper was pissed."
She glared at Brett like it was his fault, "Could she be having an anxiety attack?" he asked.
"Don't you think I have thought of that? I'm headed to check her house." Brett turned to follow her but she stopped him firmly, "You've done enough cowboy, go back to your life and if she wants to hear from you she'll call you."
Brett waited and then nodded, he didn't want to make things worse. He wished he'd never told Maisey he loved her. Terri-Lee rushed off down the block toward the apartment building. He felt like ge couldn't breathe, just when he found her again she'd been spooked and run away scared.
He knew most guys wouldn't care, they'd have bailed and turned their attention to other things: other women. He knew why he hadn't... why he couldn't, but how did one convince a woman who wouldn't speak to him that she was the love of his life and he couldn't breath without her. Even Doc would call him crazy and would call him crazy: Ned was probably the only person that would understand.