by Debra Holt
*
Solemn blue eyes followed them both until they disappeared over the rise toward the house. A calculated risk. He had taken more than a few of those over the years. He could gauge the outcome pretty quickly on most of them. Not this time.
Truitt could have changed the subject. He could have stepped away, but he had done neither. He wasn’t a gambling man by nature, but he had stepped up and taken the biggest one of his life so far. He had shut the door on a lot of things over the years…including his heart. He knew it would be taking a risk to open that door again. Why did he think Annie Sims was worth any risk he might have to face? Was he a fool? Had he misread the situation? His gut told him that she might be interested in him as much as he was in her. Or had that been wishful thinking? Yet her response to his kiss gave him every right to hope.
She was always so closed…so guarded. Those jade eyes of hers could be so eloquent at times, most often when she didn’t think anyone was watching. More often than not, however, they held wariness in their depths. Wariness of what or of whom? In the beginning, she had arrived super uptight and appeared frightened of her own shadow. Her protective nature of Jessie was more than just the normal one of a big sister.
As the weeks progressed, she had opened up a little at a time and smiles came more easily and more frequently. However, there were moments when something would spook her into a darker place and the wall would come up between her and anyone else. Truitt was clueless to figure out if the wall was in place because of him or for some other reason. He told himself to ignore it and get on with his business and leave the woman and child to his aunt’s benevolence. Telling himself that, however, was not actually doing it.
He had finally given up and taken the step…throwing caution to the wind…and he had kissed her. Unless he was mistaken, she had kissed him back and then some. That kiss had been everything and more than he had imagined. The chance he took had been worth it just to have her in his arms for those few moments of time. And that only left him more confused and needing more answers. Annie Sims was a mystery that he was going to solve…the sooner, the better.
Chapter Seven
The sound was muffled at first. But it was enough to open Annie’s eyes. She lay in bed, her mind trying to focus in the darkness. A scream of terror erupted next, and Annie’s heart stopped even while she was throwing the covers off of her and jumping up, not bothering to find her house shoes. She took off out of the bedroom and down the hall to where Jessie was sleeping in another guest room. Only she wasn’t sleeping, she was screaming.
“Jessie, sweetie, wake up. It’s me, Annie. Wake up, Jessie.” Annie switched the bedside lamp on as she sat down on the side of the bed. Jessie was tossing and turning, and then her eyes opened, and she sat straight up, her arms going tightly around Annie’s neck. Annie wrapped her arms around the child and began to gently rock, her hands soothing over her head and down her back.
Jessie began to cry, the noise muffled against Annie’s shoulder. “It’s okay, Jessie. It was just another bad dream…just a dream. You’re safe. Nothing to fear.”
Annie heard another movement in the room, and she looked over her shoulder to see Aunt Sal in her nightclothes with Truitt standing behind her just outside the doorway. Concern was written all over their faces. The last thing Annie needed was to have an audience for one of Jessie’s nightmares. Since they had arrived, this was the first time she’d had one. But it wasn’t the first one at all. Since fleeing from California, Jessie had them at least two to three times a week. Annie had hoped they were gone for good.
“Is she okay?” Aunt Sal whispered across the room from her stance just inside the doorway.
Annie nodded. “Yes, just a nightmare. She’ll be fine. I’m sorry she woke you both up. I’ll get her back to sleep and she’ll be okay.”
“Don’t worry about us,” Aunt Sal responded. “Let us know if you need anything.”
“Thank you. Please go back to bed. We’re okay.”
Annie was grateful to see that Aunt Sal did leave and head back to her bedroom. Truitt moved quietly away after a few moments.
“I’m sorry, Annie,” Jessie whispered, wiping her eyes on the sleeves of her gown. “I couldn’t help it.”
“I know you didn’t mean to have a nightmare. You can’t help those. But you’ve got to know that you’re safe. There’s nothing to be afraid of. Don’t you feel safe here?”
“Yes, I guess I do. Everyone is so nice here. And Truitt will keep us safe in case anyone comes after us. I know he’ll protect us. But it’s the same dream all the time. I’m being chased in the woods, and I just keep running and running and I can’t stop. Why won’t it stop?” She started crying softly again.
“It will. One day it won’t come back at all. You’ll feel safe and be safe. I promise it will go away. Do you want to lie back down in here or would you like to come in my room and try to sleep?”
“I want to go to your room.”
Annie stood and the pair walked back to Annie’s room where she made certain that Jessie was tucked in and then she lay down beside her, and gently rubbed her back, helping her to relax until sleep came again to the child. Annie didn’t close her eyes much the rest of the night. She had no idea how to keep the nightmares away from Jessie.
*
Aunt Sal had a surprise for the girls the next day. They were in the kitchen when she made the pronouncement midmorning.
“Truitt’s at the barn, saddling the horses. We’re all going riding. We need to hurry and change clothes. Last one downstairs is a rotten egg.” The woman grinned, placing the last container inside a leather bag. Jessie had already moved into the hallway. Annie was definitely blindsided by the turn of events. She turned more slowly from taking a bottled water from the refrigerator.
“I’ll just wait…” she began but got no further. Sal slid an arm around her shoulders and moved her toward the door.
“You’ll just run upstairs and change and we’ll all go out and enjoy the sunshine and fresh air. It’ll be good for all of us and more so for Jessie. It’s time you both saw something of the ranch besides what’s in this house and the barns. And we’ll be having lunch along the way, so prepare to be immersed in nature today.”
Annie was outmaneuvered. One the one hand, she realized that this was Sal’s and even Truitt’s well-meaning way of trying to provide something fun for Jessie after last night’s nightmare debacle. She had to be grateful for that. But on horses? For what sounded like a long time and in the company of a man who was easily turning her world upside down in more ways than one. She felt her grip on control slipping through her fingers.
*
The afternoon had a light breeze, and the sun was warm but pleasantly so. Arriving at the corral, Annie was definitely the winner of the rotten egg title. Aunt Sal and Jessie were already on their horses. Truitt stood with the reins of his horse and the one waiting for Annie in his hands.
“You look like a proper ranch woman now,” Aunt Sal spoke up, noting Annie’s jeans and green-and-yellow checked shirt. The boots were on loan from the woman.
Between trying to ignore the look in Truitt’s dark eyes as she approached and praying she wouldn’t make a fool of herself; Annie only managed a slight smile in reply. She was brought up short when she reached for the reins from Truitt and his fingers briefly closed over hers. She felt a slight pressure, bringing her eyes up to meet his without thought.
“It’s like riding a bike,” he spoke in a low tone the others couldn’t hear. “Trust the horse and your ability. Most of all, just let go and enjoy yourself.” With that, he placed a steady hand under her elbow as she placed a booted foot in the stirrup and then leveraged herself upward, swinging her leg over the horse’s back and finding the opposite stirrup.
Both to her relief and her frustration, Truitt moved his mount to sidle next to hers, only a foot or so separating the animals. They rode in companionable silence while the pair in front chattered back and forth. Annie was conten
t to keep her focus on the animal she rode, a very amiable gray gelding named Rebel. The smattering of experience she had over the years in riding horses quickly came back. Truitt was right. He was also right about letting go and enjoying the moment. What harm could there be in actually enjoying a horseback ride on a perfect Sunday afternoon? As they rode, she felt herself becoming less rigid and found genuine interest in their surroundings.
Under canopies of pecan and oak trees, and then across rolling fields of deep grasses, they rode. Occasionally, two or three white-tailed deer would be startled from their resting places in the shaded grass and would bound away, bringing laughter from Jessie and smiles from the grown-ups. They skirted a nice-sized lake with a lazy herd of cattle grazing away. The distance between the two pairs increased, but Annie didn’t really take note of it, she was so enthralled by the scenery and the wildlife, let alone the sense of peaceful freedom she felt.
“I hope you know how lucky you are to have such a beautiful place to call home. It makes a person feel like you could ride forever and never have a worry in the world.”
Truitt’s eyes moved to settle on the woman beside him. For several moments he seemed content to just study her, his thoughts held to himself. Then his gaze moved away from her and to the scenery around them. “Sometimes I take it for granted. It’s been in the family and passed down through several generations. There aren’t that many privately owned ranches this size in Texas, any longer…unfortunately.”
“Why not?”
“Various reasons, but mostly because the younger generations don’t want the heavy burden of taxes and upkeep associated with it. It takes a certain type of dedication to want to spend your life in the country, often in solitary pursuits, at the whim of Mother Nature as to how your livelihood goes each year. Large corporations, a good many from overseas, have come in with deep pockets and scooped up a lot of family-owned ranches that began back when ours did and some even before. Besides, the younger generation tends to want instant gratification and the bright lights of the big cities. Neither of those things can be found in ranch work. When money comes into the picture, that brings out greed and then lawyers aren’t far behind.”
“That’s sad,” Annie replied. “If I had a birthright like this, nothing would ever make me give it up.”
Truitt remained silent, digesting her words, his eyes once more on the distant hills. “I think you’re more of a country girl at heart than you might even know. I know Jessie is certainly open to that fact. You don’t have to be born here to appreciate the value of living in such country. It’s a good life. It’s home to a lot of genuine people. They accept a person based on who that person is and what they say and do. People you can trust and depend upon to have your back.”
Annie knew Truitt was speaking the truth, and he was speaking it in such a way that it was a message to her. He was a smart man…a good man. And that opened up a niggling possibility that she had fought against from the beginning. Fear could cause a person to make mistakes. It could also cause them to not reach out for someone else’s opinions. Maybe she could open up a bit more to Truitt? Just maybe he might understand? She needed to give it more consideration. She certainly wouldn’t mar a beautiful afternoon with such things. But maybe later…
“Did I hear someone mention there would be food on this outing?” She spoke in a louder voice to reach the pair in front. It did the trick. Aunt Sal nodded at Truitt.
“Find us a good spot, Truitt. It’s getting on to lunchtime.”
Truitt nodded at the woman, but in a lowered voice to Annie, he added, “You can’t run forever, Annie. Learn to trust and let others do the same.” He nudged his horse and moved off at a faster pace. Annie watched him go until he disappeared over a ridge at a distance from them. It was uncanny how the man sensed something that was on her mind before she even made a decision. All the more reason that she needed to come to a conclusion. Maybe to let him in…to trust. That’s what he was asking her to do. Was he asking more than she would be able to give? And what would he think of the truth when he heard it?
*
Almost two hours later, the group returned to the stables.
“Wasn’t that the best ever?” Jessie beamed, walking out of the barn a few minutes later after their mounts had been seen to. Annie skipped beside her, a much different person than the one from the previous evening. “Don’t you wish we could spend every Sunday afternoon like this?”
“That would be great,” Annie replied honestly and without pause. Then she noted the look of hope in the child’s eyes and knew she had been caught. At the same moment, she met Truitt’s look as he stood beside his mount, stilled in his unsaddling of his horse, waiting. For what? She wished Truitt wouldn’t look at her like Jessie did. It twisted something in her chest. Dangerous ground. “However, not very practical. I’m sure we’ll find equally fun things to do in the city once we get there.”
She couldn’t look at either Jessie or Truitt again. Annie hurried to catch up with Aunt Sal and did not look back.
If she had, she would have known Truitt watched her departure with a hard set to his features. She probably would have thought he was angry over her words for some reason. That would have been only partially correct. He was more confused than angry…and even more determined.
When he had heard the depth of sincerity in her tone as she spoke earlier about the ranch and birthrights, it had caused a deep stirring in Truitt’s chest. More feelings he thought were dead and gone were starting to resurface. Once more, the desire had flamed inside him…the desire to keep Annie and Jessie in Faris. The thought of her being anyplace else, or with anyone else, made his gut twist like a pretzel. Pure and simple, Annie and her sister, Jessie, had crept into a heart that he thought was shuttered against such things ever becoming a possibility again. That fact had often kept him awake over the past several long nights. That and the truth that he ached to know more than a few kisses with Annie Sims. She stirred his heart and every other sense he had. Truitt was certain of two facts. Annie and Jessie were running from something or someone from the past. And the second fact overrode all others. There were people worth fighting for in life, and he had made up his mind that he had just begun the battle. This chance wasn’t going to slip through his fingers again.
*
“Hello!” The voice was cheery and unexpected as Annie walked into the kitchen the next morning. She had waited as long as she could before coming downstairs, hoping to find Truitt had already left for his morning duties. Instead, she found a young woman, clad in denim shorts and a pink T-shirt that had a crown, whose glitter had seen better days. Her feet were in red flip-flops with pink and yellow daisies across the tops, ankles crossed and sitting on top of the low cabinet next to the coffeepot, an inviting donut perched in one hand. From photographs around the house, Annie knew she was face-to-face with Tori Tremayne. She couldn’t help but smile as she noted the words emblazoned across the crown: Rodeo Princess…NOT.
“Nice shirt. And you’re the sister I’ve heard so much about.”
The smile turned into a grin which gave way for another bite of the donut. She nodded her head. “I see my legend has preceded me. And I’m pretty sure that it was greatly exaggerated if it involved input from any of my brothers.”
Annie chose a mug and began to pour her usual cup of morning coffee. “Aunt Sal was very complimentary. That’s the opinion I value the most.”
They shared a laugh at her carefully chosen words. Tori handed over the plate next to her where one fresh pastry remained. “And that honesty earned you access to my private stock. I picked them up bright and early from the bakery in town. They are to die for and the first thing I must have when I hit home.”
“I’ve heard of them but haven’t tried one.” She dutifully took the sweet and took a seat at the table. Tori wasn’t wrong. Annie nodded, brushing away a crumb from the corner of her mouth as the pastry melted in her mouth. “I should have tried one of these sooner.”
“Well, you still have time. The guys are partial to the cinnamon rolls or the fritters, but these donuts are where it’s at for me. My one and only vice.”
“And if you believe that one, I have swamp land for sale.” The droll remark came from the tall figure of a cowboy who entered the room and made a quick grab at the bit of donut Tori still held in her fingers, but she was quicker and popped it into her mouth.
“Where are my manners?” He flashed a grin at Annie. He stuck his hand out, and she accepted it. “I’m Trey Tremayne. I hope we didn’t disturb you last night when we came in so late…or was it early this morning? I dropped my boots out of habit by the back door so I came down to retrieve them before anyone could trip over them this morning. But you two are definitely the early birds around here.”
“I thought I smelled something. You know Aunt Sal wants them outside the door, not inside.”
“And it sounds like my niece and nephew have forgotten their manners somewhere between here and Wyoming.” Annie looked over her shoulder to see the older woman had come to the doorway and was shaking her head. “Talk of smelly boots is not what I expect to hear so early in the day in my kitchen. Trey, you may remove the boots or put them on and get to helping your brother in the foaling barn.” Her glance went from his sock-clad feet to the man. Then she glanced at her niece. “And I thought you were headed into Lori’s for a trim and to get your nails done?”
“I am. Why else would I be wearing my best flip-flops?” She lifted one leg and wiggled her toes under the pink and yellow daisies.
“Why, indeed?”
“And that is my favorite aunt giving me ‘the look’ which means she would like me to change my clothes before I am seen in public. It hasn’t worked on me for many years now, yet she keeps giving her best effort,” Tori explained to Annie. She slid off the counter and stepped over to slide an arm around Aunt Sal’s shoulders. She gave her a hug. “I love her tenacity in trying to tame this wild child. I’ve got to run now, but I look forward to talking more with you later, Annie Sims. Come on, Trey,” she said casting a look over her shoulder. “I’ll drop you at the barns so you can make yourself useful.”