The Rancher Risks It All

by Debra Holt

  “What in the world put him in such a dark mood today?” Aunt Sal shook her head. “It takes some patience to handle my nephew sometimes.”

  Annie saw an opening and decided to take it. “I don’t want to appear as if I’m prying into personal things, but do his moods have anything to do with his accident? When the tree scarred his face?”

  Aunt Sal’s full attention switched to Annie, and for a moment, Annie wished she hadn’t been so forward. “I see you know some of the background, but not all of it, I would dare say.” The woman took a long moment and gathered her thoughts. “My sister and her family…all of them had gone into a nearby town, McKenna Springs, to do some shopping for the wedding. It wasn’t raining in this area, but it had been farther up in the hills. They came back at dusk and the stream crossing that was dry earlier in the day was full of flood waters and had damaged the bridge. They had stopped at the edge. A truck, not paying attention, came upon them too fast and couldn’t stop in time. It hit the back of their vehicle and shoved it into the water. Truitt managed to get out the window next to him and he had grabbed hold of his little brother…for a few minutes. That’s when a large tree trunk came along and knocked him in the head, and the next thing he remembered he was hanging on a branch; his brother was nowhere in sight and he stayed there for hours until rescuers found him the next morning. Thomas and Trey, along with Tori had managed to make it to one of the banks and found their way to the nearby farmhouse for help. We lost my sister and her husband, the youngest son of the family, Tyler, and Truitt’s fiancée. Her funeral was on what would have been their wedding day.

  “He carries the visible scar of that day. Only recently he agreed to talk to a surgeon about it but only because I asked him to do so more than once, thinking it would bring him out of the shell he has built around himself. I want him to find a good woman and know a great love and have children to enjoy. That’s kind of hard to have happen if he won’t get out more. Although, I’ll admit I have hope more now than at any other time…since you and Jessie came along. Truitt has opened up and is doing things he hasn’t done in a very long time…such as coming into town on errands more often. Before, he would send someone from the ranch, but now, he’s venturing out himself. That’s good.”

  “But I thought he went on the road quite a bit with his brother and sister to the rodeos?”

  “He does. Only he is wanting to pull away from that so much. His heart is really in working and building up the horse herd. His passion is working and training ranch horses. He’s quite good at it, and he has a lot of demand for his time from potential buyers. Besides, even being on the road and working the rodeos, he is still able to hide away. He’s a bullfighter.”

  “Bullfighter? Now, I am totally confused. They fight bulls at rodeos, too? Not just ride them?”

  Aunt Sal smiled. “Let me clarify. During the bull riding, they used to have cowboy clowns who dressed in funny clothing and painted their faces…the whole nine yards. But now, they aren’t called clowns, even though some still do the clothing and some face painting. They’re professional bullfighters, and they are there not for laughs but to save cowboys’ lives.”

  Annie didn’t quite know what to say in response to what Aunt Sal had shared. In the space of just a few minutes, she had found out so much of the past that explained the present where Truitt was concerned. He had endured such tragedy…and lost the girl he loved. He carried the dark talisman of the day. Even the bullfighting seemed to fit into the pattern. She understood a lot more about the man he had grown into and for that she was grateful. Her heart ached in a way she had never known before as she understood the pain he had carried for too long.

  *

  “Well, what brings you into my office twice in one week?” Gray looked up from the papers in front of him and leaned back in his chair as Truitt strode into his office without so much as a knock on the door.

  “Since when are you the welcome wagon?”

  “Beg your pardon? Hello to you, too.”

  Truitt wasn’t in any mood for platitudes or small talk. “I was just at The Gallery. I heard you stopped by.”

  A slow smile creased Gray’s mouth. “I see. That’s right. Guess I’m wondering why that has you in such a snit? You asked me to check on Miss Sims.”

  “Check on her as in a background check on your computers or whatever. Along the lines that you did for Thomas when he needed to know more about Jamie when she first came to the ranch.”

  “I see.” The police officer ran a hand over his chin and gave it some thought. “You know, she really is pretty. You didn’t mention that part. Those big gray eyes of hers are…”

  “Green.”

  “Pardon me?”

  “Green eyes, not gray,” Truitt ground out, pacing like a caged animal back and forth in front of the desk. “Have you done your job and found anything?”

  “Green eyes. I see.”

  Truitt stopped the pacing. “Why do you keep saying that? You don’t see anything.”

  “I see more than you want, and I know more than that. For instance, your Annie Sims is not in the computer. No records, no tickets, nothing. So I’m passing her over to a friend of mine at the local FBI office in San Antonio. We might as well be thorough. I know I would want to know about someone who is living under my roof who was a complete stranger until a few short weeks ago. I think we can only look back at Thomas and Jamie to find a good example of being forewarned. In order to do this right, I might even have to take her to dinner and see what other…”

  “That’s not necessary.” The rancher interrupted the officer. “And if you say, ‘I see’ again, I’ll have to be locked up in one of your cells for assaulting an officer of the law.” Truitt left the office with another slam of a door.

  “Have a nice day!” The words echoed after the man, followed by the laughter from the sheriff.

  *

  Truitt didn’t come to the house for dinner that evening, or the next. Annie couldn’t help but wonder if it was her fault in some way. What he had said about having the ranch business to handle could have been meant for her. She felt bad enough about being beholden to the man and his aunt for so much over the past couple of weeks. The last thing she wanted was to be an imposition.

  Therefore, it was with some trepidation that she agreed when Sal asked her to run down to the barn and take a sandwich and thermos to the man. Jessie had disappeared to the stables right after dinner so she couldn’t ask her sister to do the errand in her place. Smoothing the hem of her blue sweater down over her jean-clad hips, she set off with the food in her hands, intent on finding Truitt and retreating as swiftly as possible.

  As Annie neared the first barn, she became aware of the giggles and then a full-blown laugh that sounded like Jessie’s. It was a sound she was hearing more often than she ever had before, at least since coming to the Four T Ranch. She passed the opening of the barn and stepped around the corner to the corral area. She stopped next to the fence, her eyes not quite believing what she saw before her. Truitt stood in the center of the corral, a length of rope in his hand, as a big brown horse cantered around him in a wide circle. Jessie sat in the saddle on the animal’s back, her hands on the pommel of the saddle horn, eyes sparkling with excitement, and more giggles echoing across the space.

  “Sit up a bit straighter in the saddle.” Truitt’s voice was steady and sure. His gaze never left the child and horse. “Take hold of the reins tighter in your left hand and keep your right on the pommel. Keep your weight on the ball of your foot in the center of each stirrup. You’re doing a good job.”

  Jessie caught sight of Annie. “Look at me, Annie! Truitt is teaching me to ride.”

  “I see that.” She smiled back at the girl’s enthusiasm. “You’re doing great.”

  The pair went around the corral a half dozen more times, with Truitt gently coaxing the animal into a trot, then back to a walk, then into a canter and back again. Annie couldn’t help but marvel at the amount of patience he sho
wed with Jessie. A busy man with a huge ranch to run and yet, he took time to teach a child how to ride a horse as if it were the most important part of his duties.

  For a moment, Annie’s mind went further into the future and knew that some woman would be lucky indeed one day to have such a man for her husband and the father of her children. Truitt would be good at both roles. He deserved to have that. A stab of envy brought her back to the present. She remembered why they were there in the first place and where they needed to go shortly. Those other thoughts would only make things more complicated and cause her to wish for things out of her reach.

  Jessie dismounted from the horse with obvious reluctance.

  “You know how to cool her down now and to put her up for the night,” Truitt said. She placed her hand on the halter rope as Truitt instructed and then began to lead the horse toward the barn. An older cowboy came out of the barn as she approached. Truitt motioned for him to join them. He approached and swept off his hat from his head in the manner Annie had gotten used to seeing from so many of the ranchers whenever they met her acquaintance on the streets in town or shops. It was an ingrained show of respect.

  “Annie Sims, this is Pops. He’s the real boss of all you survey. And he’s raised more young ones around here with my siblings and me and now with another new generation of young ones coming along in our family than we can count. All of that to say that Jessie is in good hands when I’m not around. I wanted you both to meet.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am. Your little Jessie there is a fine young horsewoman in the making. And if there is ever anything you need and I’m here, I’ll be happy to help.”

  Annie returned his smile and accepted his handshake. “Thank you, Pops. I can see you are held in high regard. I appreciate your patience in helping my little sister.”

  Pops left them to follow Jessie and the horse into the barn. That left Annie standing at the fence and Truitt turned to her.

  “Aunt Sal asked me to bring you this sandwich and thermos.” She practically blurted the information out as she pushed the items through the slats in the fence toward the man. Once he took them from her, she could make her exit. He didn’t take them…at least not right away.

  Instead of stopping with the fence between them, he easily placed a booted foot on the bottom fence post and then with little effort topped the fence and jumped to the ground beside her, his hands quickly dusting themselves down the long length of his muscular thighs. His nearness sent Annie’s pulse off to the races, and she did her best to keep the food between them as a barrier of some sort. Some barrier. The heat emanating from the virile male in front of her was almost as palpable on her skin as if she were standing in front of a firepit. Why couldn’t she feel worldlier around him? In control? He reduced her to acting like some virginal teenager.

  “She wasn’t sure if you’d be in late or not, since you weren’t at dinner last night, either.” Annie wished she had just stayed silent when she noted the uplift of one brow at her added information.

  His gaze fell on her and he studied her for a few long moments. “I had a mare foaling that needed help. It’s nice to know I was missed though.” He took the wrapped sandwich and the thermos from her, his fingers lingering for just a longer moment than necessary maybe? “Thanks for bringing this down here for me. I meant to stop by The Gallery today and talk to you about Jessie, but time got away from me and I forgot to do that in my rush to get to another meeting. We didn’t get to finish our discussion about her riding the other evening. I hope you aren’t upset that I’ve been giving her some lessons. Jessie’s really taken to riding. She’s got a natural talent for it. I planned to stop by tomorrow to ask if Jessie can ride in the parade. She won’t be on horseback, but she’ll be riding in a covered wagon…with me.” As he spoke, he turned toward the barn, and it seemed expected for her to fall into step beside him.

  Sliding her hands into the back pockets of her jeans, Annie wished she had taken a bit more time to apply some fresh lip gloss, or to run a comb through her hair before coming down to the barn. Of course, she was being silly and immediately chided herself for the thoughts. She didn’t need to want to be noticed by this man.

  “I think Jessie would be ecstatic to be in a parade in a covered wagon. That’s very generous of you to invite her. And I suppose that there isn’t any real harm in letting her at least get to enjoy a horseback ride or two while she’s in the country. You know, you’ve made her a very happy little girl, allowing her to ride horses while she’s here. She’s always wanted a horse. Not very practical when you live…well, when you live in the city.” She had almost said “in a small apartment in a huge city.” Annie shook herself mentally. She couldn’t help wondering what it would feel like to have a normal conversation with the man beside her. To not have to be constantly on guard lest she slip up, as she almost had.

  If he noticed her hesitation, he gave no indication. “Every child should have a horse. It teaches them a lot about responsibility and also independence. How about you? Did you ever want a horse?”

  She flashed on the many times she had wanted to take lessons after one of her friends who had horses had invited her to her home one day. While growing up that would never have been a possibility, she had dreamed of one day when she was grown and had a job, maybe she could find a stable that taught people and rented out animals for a couple of hours. There were such ranches in the hills above the city. But she had never gotten around to making that dream a reality. Annie’s reply kept it short and simple. “Yes, I was like other children who wanted a horse.”

  *

  Truitt stopped before they reached the doorway to the barn. She could hear Jessie’s soft voice asking an incessant flow of questions and the low rumble of the answers steadily given by Pops. It was evident by the expression on her face that Truitt’s next words caught her by surprise. It caught him by surprise also.

  “Would you like me to teach you to ride? We have a nice gray mare that would appreciate some exercise. Then you could see something of the ranch besides just around the house and barns.” Truitt’s steady gaze waited for her reply…almost challenging her to accept.

  He noted the brief flash of excitement that appeared and then just as quickly diminished in the jade depths. He was certain the idea appealed to her, but she responded with the usual hint of reserve in her speech. There was a wall of mystery that he just couldn’t seem to find a crack in so he could get inside it and find the real woman it shrouded.

  “I’m afraid that I won’t have much time now that we’re about ready to open The Gallery and the festival is next week. It’s a lovely offer, but you already have enough to keep you busy with Jessie.”

  “Well, you can rest assured that before you leave here, I intend to get you on a horse, no excuses accepted.”

  “Why is it so important that I ride a horse?”

  “As I said, I want to show you some of the ranch that you can’t see except from the back of a horse. I think you’d really like what you see. Who knows? You might want to stick around and see more of us.”

  “Us?”

  “Make that me… I want you to stick around, Annie Sims. How’s that for not hiding behind a scar?”

  His hands reached out, fit around her waist, and pulled her slender figure up against his length. Firm lips claimed hers before she could process his words or his intent. Electricity shot through nerve endings as if he had made contact with a light socket. The fact registered that Annie did not pull away as he might have anticipated. Once the suddenness passed, her lips softened, and he found a welcome from them that brought his whole body into play. Truitt experienced a thirst that he had not anticipated. Her body melted into his as the kiss deepened, and her arms reached upward to encircle his neck. He ached to have even more of her, to feel her within every pore of his body. The kiss unleashed desires that flamed to life that he thought were forever dormant. The immediate flare of heat was combustible and threatened to consume him in a way he had
never known before.

  *

  The sudden impact of both Truitt’s words and his kiss took Annie’s breath away. Was this what they talked about in books? It really happened just like this? Somewhere her brain was trying to process coherent thought, but it was a losing battle. Truitt Tremayne was kissing her. More importantly, she was kissing him back. Her arms went up of their own volition, fingers burying into the soft length of hair at the back of his head. He had mastery in his kiss that was neither aggressive nor insistent. It was simply certain of its intent and his need to touch and taste her. Strong hands brought her into his body, and he moved them both farther into the darkened corner of the building, where they were concealed from anyone’s view inside the barn. Next, the warm searching of his mouth moved across the soft fullness of her bottom lip, intent on his next goal.

  Annie answered his search by allowing her lips to open to his seeking. Their tongues met and danced softly around each other. She couldn’t deny him anything at that moment. His touch was igniting fires deep within her that threatened her last vestiges of sanity. There was something inside her fighting to live again. Had she ever felt this way before? Answering warmth spread through her lower half and her body instinctively sought the closeness with his.

  “Annie! Annie! Are you out there?” Jessie’s raised voice broke through the feverish muddle of Annie’s brain like a dash of cold water tossed in her face. What was she doing? What was she thinking? The hold on her instantly released as she stepped back from the man, turning toward the open doorway as she replied.

  “I’m here. I was just speaking with Truitt. It’s time we left these good men to their work. Let’s go back to the house. Hurry up.”

  Jessie ran around the corner to join her just a couple of moments later, taking the hand she held out. “Thanks again, Truitt. I gave Jazmine an extra apple. See you tomorrow!” She tossed a wave with her free hand over her shoulder. Annie did not look back.