A Cowboy in Manhattan(70)

“What?” Caleb demanded.

“What?” Mandy echoed.

“That’s why I went to New York,” said Reed, owning up to at least part of the truth. “I told him to back off. Threatened to kill him, actually. But he wouldn’t listen.”

Caleb’s jaw had turned to steel. “He didn’t…”

“He’s still breathing,” said Reed. “So, no. He didn’t. He asked. She turned him down, but he wouldn’t take no for an answer. He’s the guy who caused her ankle accident.”

Mandy rose distractedly. “I have to call Katrina.” But she didn’t move any farther.

“The Sasha Terrell Endowment Fund will replace all of Foster’s donations,” said Reed, still looking directly at his brother. “And then some. He’s out. We’re in. And Katrina is perfectly safe.”

“Now I understand,” said Danielle.

Mandy’s shoulders slumped in relief. Then she took the two steps that brought her to Reed and she enveloped him in a hug of gratitude.

“Thank you,” she whispered, her throat obviously clogged.

Reed hugged her back. “Happy to do it.”

“Why didn’t you come to me?” Caleb asked.

“Didn’t need to.”

“She’s going to be my sister-in-law. And I have a lot more money than you do.”

“It’s handled,” said Reed, releasing Mandy. A couple of tears had leaked out of the corners of her eyes, but she was smiling.

Caleb cocked his head to one side. “But why not—”

“Leave it,” said Reed, glaring at his brother.

But then comprehension dawned on Caleb’s face. “I’ll be damned.”

“What part of ‘leave it’ didn’t you understand?”

“What?” Mandy looked back and forth between the brothers.

Caleb shook his head in obvious bewilderment. “How long have you been in love with Katrina?”

“You don’t have to answer that,” said Danielle.

Caleb turned to her. “What? We’re in a court of law now?”

Mandy looked to Reed, her brows knitting together. “Did I miss something?”

“She’s safe, Mandy.” He told her. “That’s all that matters.”

“But—”

He moved toward the door, wanting nothing more than to get very far away from this conversation.

“How does she feel about you?” Mandy called after him.

He paused, his respect for Mandy at war with his instinct for self-preservation. “She’s in New York City. I’m here. End of story.”

“Is she upset? Did you hurt her?”

Reed knew his answer was going to make Mandy angry. He regretted that. He regretted it a lot. But it was always going to end this way. He’d tried to tell that to Katrina, and he’d certainly known it himself. “She understands that our lives are completely separate.”

“But you slept with her anyway,” said Caleb.

“That’s still none of your business.” Reed started for the kitchen door.

Caleb put an arm out to stop him. Surprisingly, there was no anger in his tone. “A very wise man once told me that when a Jacobs woman sleeps with you, it means she loves you.”

Reed remembered their conversation perfectly. But that was a different time, a completely different circumstance. “That doesn’t bring Katrina any closer to Colorado.”

“You think that’s your only answer?”

Reed ignored his brother and began moving again, increasing his pace.

“That Katrina comes to Colorado?” Caleb called. “You can’t go to New York City?”

Reed smacked his hand on the doorjamb as he rocked to a halt.

“There are two possible solutions,” said Caleb.

Reed turned, enunciating carefully. “My world is here. I have a house to build and kids to raise and a mother to honor.”

“You think Mom would want you to give up Katrina?” Caleb stepped closer.

“I think Mom would want Katrina to be happy,” Reed answered with total honesty. There were more than a few parallels between the two women. And he would never, ever do to Katrina what his father had done to his mother.

“So do I,” Caleb said softly, stopping directly in front of Reed. “I think Mom would want you to make Katrina happy, on Katrina’s terms, in Katrina’s world.”