After the Fall: An Inspirational Western Romance (Gold Valley Romance Book 2) Read online

  He heard Norah come in upstairs as he finished brushing his teeth, his choice of garlic bread suddenly weighing heavily on his mind. Maybe such a potent menu item would ruin the opportunity to kiss her.

  Several more pairs of feet entered the house, further sinking Sterling’s hopes. How could he kiss Norah with all her brothers around?

  Voices came with the footsteps, and soon four more people joined him on the bottom level. “Morning.” He smiled at the boys. “Let me see if I can remember….” He pointed to the oldest boy, almost as tall as Sterling. “Javier.”

  The teen beamed, and Sterling switched his attention to the next boy. He felt sure Norah had mentioned their names over the past month, but his memory failed him.

  “That’s Erik,” Javier said, saving him. “And Alex.”

  Sterling snapped his fingers. “Erik, right. And Alex.” He turned to Norah, who wore a short-sleeved dress with a belt around her waist. The skirt flared to her knees, one of those old-fashioned styles. Her long legs stretched down to a pair of heels, putting her closer to his height. He appreciated her beauty, loved the way she let her curls loose on Sundays when she normally tamed them into a tight poof on the back of her head for work.

  “You ready for church?” he asked.

  “Are you?” she teased.

  “Oh, I am so ready.” He employed every ounce of self-control he possessed to keep himself from reaching for her, tucking her against his side, kissing her.

  Today, he promised himself. Somehow, he’d kiss her today.

  “Thanks for letting us come for lunch.” Norah’s gratitude interrupted Sterling’s thoughts, which lingered on something the pastor had said. He looked up from his phone, where he’d been reading the scripture the pastor had quoted. Norah stood at the window, her back to him, her arms crossed.

  “Sure. Glad to have you.” He didn’t want to let her know how much he disliked being alone, how huge the house felt without someone there with him.

  “Javier has the boys downstairs.” She twisted toward him. “They’ve got a movie on. I told them it would be a while until lunch was ready.”

  “Couple of hours.” He went down the two stairs to the living room, his leg aching only the slightest bit today, and collapsed into an armchair. “I’m so tired.”

  She joined him in the living room but sat in the other armchair, on the other side of the couch. “Nap time?”

  “There are at least twenty beds here,” he said. “We can definitely take a nap.”

  “Is your brother coming?” She picked her nails like she didn’t care.

  Sterling chuckled, wishing he’d chosen to sit on the couch so she could sit right next to him. “No, I’ve spoken with him several times this week. He’s not coming today.”

  “One piece of good news.” She glanced up and smiled.

  Sterling stood and took a few steps toward her, an idea forming in his head. “The boys will be busy downstairs for a while?”

  Surprise and the tiniest bit of alarm entered her face. “Yeah, why?”

  He extended his hand for her to take. “I want to show you something.”

  She rose and slipped her hand into his as the faintest hint of red kissed her cheeks. “Okay.”

  “It’s upstairs.” He started toward the staircase that led to the upper floor. “My mom has a library up here; you’ve seen it?”

  “I dust it.” The dryness in Norah’s tone elicited another chuckle from Sterling.

  “Of course you do. My mother is a freak about dust.” Sterling had spent many Saturday mornings trying to appease his mother, claiming to have dusted picture frames and tables that she believed to still be covered in the wretched substance. He’d have to dust two or three times before she was satisfied.

  “Have you ever looked at the books?”

  “What kind of cleaning lady do you think I am?” They reached the top of the stairs, and Sterling steered her past the bunk bed room where she’d housed her girls, past one full bathroom and around to the end of the house.

  “My mom keeps her most sentimental things here.” He entered the library, really a bookcase-paneled room the size of a small kitchen. A tiny round table sat in the middle, flanked by two chairs. There was barely enough room to maneuver around the furniture to look at the books.

  “She made all of us boys books for when we get married.” Sterling released Norah’s hand as he searched the shelves. “But then she couldn’t give them away. Mine’s obviously still here, but so are all my other brothers.”

  He located the volume and plucked it from the collection. Sitting in one of the chairs, he sighed. “You wanna see it?”

  Her eyes shone with amusement, with anticipation. “Of course I want to see it.”

  Sterling smiled as he opened the book. “This is what my mother loved to do.” He traced the first picture in the book—him as a newborn, only minutes after his birth.

  “You had so much hair.” Norah leaned over the book, wonder in her voice and her expression. Sterling showed her the pages, talked about his childhood, wanted to share that part of himself with her.

  When they reached the end of the book, that sense of contentment filled him again. He wanted every afternoon to be like this one. Every evening to be filled with dinner and conversation with Norah.

  As he sat in the silence of the library, he realized he was falling in love with Norah Watson. The idea both terrified and excited him. He’d never felt this secure with Amber. Never shared such personal things and had them accepted without question.

  “I wish I had a book like that,” Norah said, sadness in every syllable. She stood and replaced the tome on the shelf where Sterling had taken it.

  He joined her, his heart beating at a screaming fast pace, like a train off its tracks. “I’ll make you a book,” he whispered as he wrapped his arms around her. She turned into him, her hands sliding up his arms and into his hair.

  Sterling didn’t hesitate. Didn’t question if this was the right moment or not. He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, his blood on fire. She received his kiss eagerly, deepening it and pressing closer.

  Sterling held on for dear life, grateful for the first time for the fall that had led him back to Gold Valley.

  10

  Sterling lost himself to Norah’s touch. Only she existed, even after they’d eaten, and played card games, and watched a movie. Even after she’d loaded up her brothers and left. Sterling lay in bed, his thoughts lost to the woman he’d first believed had broken into his house.

  He closed his eyes and relived the pressure of her full lips against his. He wasn’t sure how long they’d stood in the library, kissing, but it wasn’t long enough. Especially since he didn’t get to kiss her again before she left. Too many eyes.

  She’d continue to drive him to Silver Creek each day, but he needed to figure out a way to spend more time with her in the evenings. Once a week wasn’t going to cut it. Ideas percolated in his mind as he drifted to sleep, his dreams filled with coffee-colored skin, and strawberry-scented hair, and vanilla-mint lips.

  The next morning, Sterling hurried to get ready so he could make a phone call before Norah showed up. When Shelly answered at Silver Creek, he asked her for Norah’s address. The secretary hesitated, and Sterling fumbled for a reason he needed it. One that wouldn’t indicate he’d kissed a co-worker.

  “I have something to send her mother,” Sterling said. “And I want it to be a surprise.” The statement wasn’t entirely untrue. He did want to send dinner to Norah’s house so she didn’t have to cook. Maybe then she’d go out with him instead of rushing home….

  “Well, isn’t that sweet?” Shelly wore a smile in her voice, and a flood of guilt cascaded through Sterling as she rattled off the address. He wrote it down just as the garage door started to creak upward. He hastily ended the call and shoved the paper in his back pocket. He rarely saw Norah at work, so it shouldn’t be too hard to arrange a dinner delivery without her knowing.

  Convinci
ng her to go out with him…that was another matter entirely.

  He moved to the exit just as it opened. A grin burst onto his face, and he quickened his step, sweeping her into a hug. “Morning.”

  She giggled in response, pulled back a little, and stretched up to kiss him. This time was just as magical as the first, and he wanted to kiss her in every room in the cabin—and there were a lot of those.

  Norah pulled away, her smile shy and her eyes downcast. “Ready?”

  “I guess.” Sterling wasn’t keen on heading to the center, where he couldn’t touch Norah, couldn’t kiss her, couldn’t even look at her in a way someone might catalog as more than friendly. Now that he’d kissed her, he wasn’t sure he could continue the charade.

  But he zipped his lips and followed her to the car. With April almost upon them, some of the snow had started to melt into dirty slush, reminding Sterling of how much he disliked spring in Montana. Denver was much better, with a shorter winter and a cleaner spring. For a few minutes, he lost himself in his memories of living in the big city, with sponsors sending him gear every other day, and nothing on his mind but when he could get out to the mountain and snowboard.

  That life seemed like it had ended years ago, not months. The familiar resentment and bitterness didn’t come right away, didn’t flood his mouth with a sour taste, didn’t poison his mind and threaten to drive him mad.

  The absence of those feelings surprised him, and he held them close so he could examine them later, when he was alone. When he was with Norah, he didn’t want to be circulating things inside his mind.

  He squeezed her fingers and asked her about school. “Only a few weeks until finals, right?”

  She cast him a quick smile. “Right.”

  “How long until you’re done? What are you studying?”

  “I can take more classes in the summer,” she said. “Because the boys are home to help more. Javier’s graduating this year, but he’ll stick around until fall.”

  “So how long?” Sterling asked.

  “Another year, probably. Maybe a few last classes next summer.” She pulled into the parking lot, and Sterling lamented the end of their hand-holding. At least for now.

  He followed her down the path that led to the offices, but she veered toward one of the girls’ buildings while he continued inside. Dr. Richards had asked him to make weekly reports, because of his leg. It felt much better; Sterling barely needed the brace anymore, though he still wore it, especially when he’d be standing all day. But he hardly took any pain medication, and the mobility seemed to be expanding.

  After explaining all this to Dr. Richards, he went in search of Will and his boys. He found them in the cafeteria, eating breakfast. The space had been almost gutted, and a woman with red hair was directing a painting crew.

  Will met him at the end of the table. “It should be done in a couple of months.”

  Sterling watched as a ladder got set up and the woman climbed the steps. “Does she paint?”

  Will chuckled. “Belle is a hands-on designer. She’ll be up there all day.” He watched her, and Sterling noticed a look of longing on his face. “She finished the girls’ dorms in record time.”

  “She’s pretty,” he said.

  Will kept his focus on the redhead. “Don’t get any ideas. She’s taken. Married to the foreman at Horseshoe Home Ranch.”

  “Isn’t that where you’ll be working?” Sterling asked.

  Will sighed. “Yep. Start in a couple of weeks.” He tore his gaze from the woman rolling gray paint on the walls and turned back to the at-risk boys. Sterling moved down to the end of the table and asked one of the boys, Lincoln, about the basketball game he’d been excited to watch over the weekend.

  As the teen started to talk, Sterling noticed two of the boys further down the table start to become agitated. He kept one ear on what Landon said, but both eyes on the other boys. One stood; the other exploded to his feet.

  Will didn’t move a muscle, even when the first boy—Jack—threw a punch toward the second—Cooper.

  Sterling couldn’t sit here and do nothing. A hush fell in the cafeteria as the boys’ voices escalated. Sterling hurried toward them, his heart thumping a mile a minute.

  “Boys,” he said. “Step away from each other.”

  Jack glared at him. “You’re not the boss of us.”

  “Step back,” Sterling said in his best police voice. “Trust me, you don’t want to do this.” He glanced at Cooper, the darker-haired teen. He hadn’t been hit due to some great evasive maneuvers. Thank goodness.

  “You hit him, and it’s over for you, Jack.” Sterling crossed his arms. “So step back. Cooper, you too. Right now. Together.”

  The two boys stared at each other, and seemingly with the same mind, stepped away from each other.

  “Cooper, you stay with Will. Jack, take a walk with me.” Sterling turned and headed toward the exit, not bothering to look to make sure Jack was coming. He would.

  Sure enough, he passed the slower gait of Sterling and slammed his palm against the door as he left the cafeteria. Sterling didn’t mind. Better to let the boy get out his frustration on inanimate objects.

  Jack practically ran ahead of Sterling, who didn’t mind as long as he could see the boy. After several minutes outside in the weak sunshine, Jack returned to Sterling.

  “Want to tell me what happened?” Sterling made his voice quiet, unassuming, careful.

  “No.”

  “Do it anyway.”

  Jack exhaled, and Sterling felt the anger in him. It wasn’t that hard to see, to feel, to recognize. Sterling had experienced it himself, those first few weeks—maybe until he’d met Norah—after the fall.

  “You wouldn’t understand.”

  “Oh, yeah? What wouldn’t I understand?”

  “You’re rich,” he said. “You don’t get what it’s like to—” Jack’s face twisted into a scowl. “Forget it.”

  But Sterling didn’t want to forget it. “I’m not rich. My family is.”

  “You were a gold medalist,” Jack argued. “You had tons of sponsors.”

  “Had,” Sterling emphasized.

  “Whatever.”

  Sterling couldn’t make him understand, and the fact was, he did still have a lot of money in savings. Better not to mention that, though. “What happened with Cooper?”

  “He said my parents don’t care about me.”

  Sterling frowned. “Why would he say that?”

  “Because they’re not coming for this weekend’s parent weekend.”

  Sterling hadn’t even known this weekend was parent’s weekend. “And his are?”

  “Of course. Mister I-Have-Everything-I-Want. He’s from back east. Totally loaded.” Jack kicked at the snow. “This is his third treatment program, and they’re not cheap.”

  Sterling let the silence try to soothe Jack while he aligned things in his head. “And your family can’t afford to come?”

  “No,” Jack muttered.

  “Where do they live?”

  “Tennessee.”

  Sterling didn’t say anything else. After several minutes, he asked Jack where they were supposed to go next, and when he said, “The barn,” Sterling took him there. Will had the rest of the boys already at work, so Sterling took the opportunity to slip away.

  He hurried to the front office, thanked Shelly real quick for Norah’s address, and knocked on the financial director’s door.

  “Come in,” Rose Lovell called. Sterling pushed open the door to find her sitting at her desk. “How can I help you?”

  He sat in one of the chairs opposite her, giving some relief to his leg. He’d seen the woman out in the stables last Monday, with a young teenage daughter. They’d been saddling a horse. He wasn’t sure what they’d been doing, and he pushed the memories away in favor of a more pressing issue.

  “How much would it cost to fly a couple of people here from Tennessee?”

  Her eyebrows lifted into her dark hair. “
Tennessee?”

  “Yeah,” Sterling said. “I want to pay to fly Jack Payson’s parents here for the weekend.”

  Norah hung up the call from Javier, her stomach sinking at the same time warmth sang through her body. Sterling had asked her to meet him in the barn instead of at the car, so she entered the structure, expecting to see him hard at work with one of the horses.

  Instead, he leaned against a stall, feeding a black and white horse sugar cubes from his palm. He chuckled as the horse’s lips fumbled across his skin.

  “Don’t give ’im too much,” Owen called from a few stalls down.

  “Sterling.” She marched over to him. “You sent a catered meal to my house?” Horror washed through her. Had he gone there? What had he seen? Did he meet Mama? She could barely swallow, and her stomach swooped up in a riot.

  “Shh,” he said, barely looking at her. “Yes, I sent some food to your house.” He gave her a quick glance and lowered his voice even further. “I thought then we could go to dinner together.”

  She leaned away from him, one hip cocked, her arms folded—mostly as she tried to keep her insides from quaking. “You’re joking.”

  The horse gobbled up the last sugar cube. “I’m not.” He wiped his hands on his jeans. “We can go to Missoula. No one there will see us.”

  “I can’t drive an hour and a half—one way—for dinner.” Did he think she was made of steel? That she didn’t need to sleep? That she had gas money for such luxuries?

  “Starvation, then.”

  That was still a half hour away. But the thought of spending time with him, eating alone with him, kissing him…. Norah let the idea play around in her mind.

  “I’ll pay for gas,” he said. “And dinner.” He paused as Tom Lovell came into the barn with his wife, Rose, and their daughter Mari. Norah stepped away from him automatically, like she couldn’t even be caught talking to him.

  “Hey, Rose,” she said as the family approached. “Mari, are you riding tonight?”