Home on the Ranch

by Tanya Michaels

  Gayle had even coaxed a skeptical Addie to try some of the zucchini casserole, promising her a slice of the world’s best pineapple upside-down cake if she ate a little bit of it. While Addie had pronounced the dessert yummy, she looked as if she was going to fall asleep before she even finished her piece. Tonight had been a lot of excitement for her to process. When they’d arrived, Harvey Trent invited Addie to sit next to him and watch the opening of The Wizard of Oz while the adults set the table and finished dinner preparations. Then Aunt Kate had sung an entertaining—if melodramatic—rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” with Addie. During dinner, Addie’s new uncles alternated tornado facts with silly stories about Jace as a kid—even as Jace spluttered that at least half of them were fictitious.

  Jace and his family had given them a near-perfect evening, and tomorrow night she planned to thoroughly express her gratitude at their grown-up slumber party. There definitely wouldn’t be much slumber taking place.

  He squeezed her hand under the table, and she grinned at him, impressed that she’d already had such good taste in men at seventeen. Not every woman could say that, but Jace was proving himself worthy of her love. Was it too soon to tell him that she loved him? She wasn’t even sure how many dates they’d technically had, but she knew she didn’t want to leave Cupid’s Bow without saying it.

  Jace cleared his throat. “Um, could I have everyone’s attention? I’d like to make a toast.”

  Cole snickered. “Traditionally, that’s done at the beginning of the meal, little brother. Before everyone’s glasses are empty.”

  “Well, Layla and I aren’t afraid to buck convention, are we, beautiful?”

  She sheepishly sank down in her chair. It had taken her an hour tonight to feel comfortable again with his parents, facing them after what she’d done. She would have preferred Jace not remind everyone of their unorthodox family situation.

  He stood, raising his less-than-half-full glass. “Cole, Will, I made toasts at both your weddings—”

  “Don’t remind us,” Will grumbled. “They weren’t so much ‘toasts’ as public airings of brotherly secrets better left unshared.”

  Megan laughed. “Don’t mind him, Jace. I thought your wedding toast was funny.”

  Jace winked at his sister-in-law. “Anyway, for the last few months, I’ve wondered if it would ever be my turn—if I would get a chance at the same kind of happiness you two lucky bastards have found.”

  “Language!” Gayle reprimanded.

  “Sorry, Ma. I had more I wanted to say, but since my family seems intent on interrupting me at every turn, I’d better make this quick. Addie Rose, you told me earlier this week that you didn’t want to stay at my house without your mom, and I think you’re onto something. I think we should all be together.”

  “Wait, what?” Layla had been amused by his family’s banter, but when he brought Addie into the toast, faint alarm bells sounded in the back of her head. If he wanted to discuss the possibility of Layla eventually moving to Cupid’s Bow, they should have had that conversation privately, not with an audience.

  He pulled a black velvet box from his pocket, stamped with the logo of the local jewelry store, and there were gasps around the table as he popped it open, offering a sparkling diamond ring toward Layla.

  Addie clapped her hands. “Mommy, you get a present, too!”

  Oh, no. This wasn’t a gift she could accept—not here, not now. What did he think he was doing?

  “Layla Anne Dempsey, will you marry me?”

  Her throat was closing. She couldn’t breathe. Dark pinpoints danced in her vision as she felt all eyes on her.

  “Mama?”

  Layla didn’t know whether the questioning note in her daughter’s tone was because Addie wanted to know her answer or if her daughter was confused about what was happening.

  Luckily Megan, who’d been a single mother of three for years before she met Will, was good with kids and quickly interceded. “Hey, Addie, I got here too late to watch the good part of The Wizard of Oz with you. Can we go restart it, give your mom a chance to thank Jace for his present?”

  Addie grimaced. “You mean kiss him again?”

  Hell. Addie had seen that? Which time? More than once? Layla thought they’d been discreet. Of course, she’d also thought this might be her and Jace’s second date and now he was proposing, so what did she know?

  “Here.” Someone—Kate, she thought—pressed a cold glass of water into Layla’s hand. “Drink a little bit of this.”

  “And maybe put your head between your knees,” Cole advised.

  “She’s fine,” Jace insisted. “I just caught her by surprise. Right, Layla?”

  Understatement of the century. She was too dizzy to nod, though. Dimly aware of the others filing out of the room, Layla sipped her water, mentally willing her pulse to slow. From the living room, she heard the MGM lion roar, followed by the orchestral score of opening credits she’d long ago memorized. They were playing the movie louder than necessary, probably to give Jace and Layla some degree of privacy, but the dining room felt claustrophobic. Ten minutes ago, she’d been so contentedly full that she couldn’t imagine ever moving from her chair; now she couldn’t wait to get the hell out of here.

  “I need some air,” she said.

  The spots in front of her eyes were slowly fading, but she barely saw her surroundings as Jace led her out the back door. The night air was blessedly cool. She leaned on the deck railing, trying to catch her breath.

  “Well. That did not go the way I envisioned,” he said wryly. “It was a little embarrassing, actually.”

  “For you?” She gaped at him, marveling at how obtuse he was. Lord, I hope Addie got my brains.

  “Of course for me.” His chuckle was self-deprecating. “When a guy lays it all on the line like that, he hopes a girl will say yes, especially when there’s an audience. But you don’t need to be embarrassed because you got momentarily overwhelmed. It was a dramatic moment. I’m sure everyone understands.”

  Her jaw dropped. There were so many flaws with what he’d said that she didn’t even know where to begin. He shouldn’t have asked in front of an audience. He shouldn’t have asked, period. “Jace, I don’t like dramatic moments. How many times have I complained to you about my family drama or told you that I try to keep excess drama away from Addie?”

  His brow furrowed, as if he were trying to translate her words from another language. “Well, yeah, but that’s a different kind of drama. This was romantic.”

  “Not really.” She no longer felt faint, but she didn’t have the mental energy to formulate a diplomatic response. “You didn’t start with all the things you liked about me or why we’re good together. You started by admitting that you were jealous of what your brothers have. You’ve recently identified a hole in your life, and Addie and I conveniently fill it. But we won’t be as convenient once we leave town, so you tried to keep us here.”

  “And I’m dramatic?” His face darkened. “I didn’t try to lock you in a tower, Layla, I asked you to spend your life with me.”

  “Which is ridiculous! You’ve never even told me you love me. I’ve never said it to you.”

  “But you do, don’t you? That picture collage you gave me earlier... I looked at it and I saw family, my family.”

  Part of her liked that explanation and wanted to cling to it, but he hadn’t magically conjured an engagement ring on the ride over here. He’d already decided to do it, and the more she thought about it, the more she doubted their compatibility. He was so impulsive. When they’d been kids, there’d been nothing like Jace’s spontaneity to liven up a boring summer day. But they were adults now with responsibilities, with a child. His sister-in-law, a woman Layla barely knew, had thought ahead to text and ask about whether to bring her twins, whether it would be best for Addie. But Jace had proposed right in front of their
daughter with seemingly no concern for how she would react.

  Tears pricked her eyes. She didn’t want the first time she said she loved him to be because he’d badgered her into the admission. Right now, she was so disappointed in him it was hard to tell how she felt. “I need time to think it over. And space. And what about Addie’s needs? At your house, she got freaked out by a comforter and a ceiling fan. It didn’t occur to you that suggesting a massive life change and uprooting her from the only home she’s ever known might freak her out? What if she hates the idea of us getting married? Or, even if she’s all for it, how dare you give her false hope when you didn’t know what I’d say?”

  “I hoped you would say yes—obviously—but I should have known better. Because here you are, running away,” he growled. “Again.”

  She sucked in a breath, crossing her arms in front of her as if to shield herself against his words. “That was a low blow. Don’t act like I’m scared of commitment. I’m not the one who dropped out of college—which I never actually went to, since I was busy raising a baby—then quit a dozen jobs and broke up with twice as many girls. What you call running away is just me having the good sense to avoid things that hurt me, like parents teaching toddlers the concept of ‘too hot.’ Addie and I are leaving Cupid’s Bow, not because I’m some kind of coward, but because it was always the plan. It’s logical. Not sticking around to get burned more by you is just a bonus.”

  * * *

  When the back door opened behind him an hour later, Jace regretted staying on the back deck instead of just getting in his truck and leaving—but that would have been the Layla response to a situation, to run off without having to face his family. He’d been here since Addie came to hug him goodbye, informing him that Aunt Kate was giving them a ride home. He hadn’t known what to say to his little girl regarding the botched proposal, and she hadn’t mentioned it, so he’d dropped the subject for the time being. After she’d gone, he’d sat down to wait for the hurt and humiliation to fade, staring out across his parents’ property and seriously considering chucking the ring in his pocket into the tree line.

  Apparently, his family had decided they’d left him alone long enough.

  “I’m not good company,” he said to whomever was behind him.

  “True,” Cole said. “But that’s never stopped us from hanging out with you before.” He sat down on Jace’s right.

  Will sat on the left, handing Jace a chilled bottle of beer, already opened.

  Jace took a swig, working up the nerve to ask, “Was she okay? When she left?” Without even looking at them, he could feel his brothers exchange glances, knew they were silently deciding how to answer and who should answer. Cole and Will had always been close; they could damn near communicate through telepathy.

  “She was trying very hard not to cry,” Will said.

  “But Kate hasn’t come back yet,” Cole added. “Between Kate and Gena, they’ll make sure she’s all right. Kate might even put in a good word for you.”

  Would there be any point? “The family screwup strikes again.”

  Will bopped him on the head. “Quit feeling sorry for yourself.”

  Jace glared. “Don’t the two of you ever worry about causing me permanent brain injury?”

  “That would explain your actions tonight,” Cole said. “What the hell were you thinking, bro?”

  “Not you, too! Layla already made me feel like a dumbass for asking in front of an audience.” He wasn’t sure why that was a mistake. People accepted marriage proposals in public all the time. He’d personally witnessed at least three in the town gazebo during various festivals.

  “I wasn’t talking about the audience so much as the timing,” Cole said. “You had to know she would be nervous about seeing Mom and Dad for the first time after them learning that she gave birth to their granddaughter. You didn’t think maybe one major milestone event might be enough for the night?”

  It had seemed perfect in his head, all the people he loved most together in one room. You’ve never even told me you love me. Hadn’t he? He felt like he had. He felt like it was so glaringly obvious every time he looked at her, every time he touched her, that half the town probably knew by now. But, based on what she’d said tonight, he wasn’t sure she felt the same way.

  Despair clawed at him, a desperation to chase after her and talk some sense into her, convince her how good they would be together. “I can fix this,” he said aloud. “I just caught her off guard. I was impulsive, and she overreacted, but—”

  “Whoa. I’m just gonna stop you there,” Will said. “You will never ‘fix’ things with a woman by telling her she overreacted.”

  “Never,” Cole seconded.

  Will was shaking his head. “Not ever.”

  “I get the point, guys. I’m not an idiot.”

  “No,” Cole agreed, “but you aren’t the world’s best listener, and you don’t always think before you act.”

  “Hey, whose side are you on?” Jace demanded. That decided it—Will was definitely his favorite brother. Until the next time Will whacked him on the head, anyway. “You two don’t understand—”

  Cole threw his head back and laughed. On the other side of Jace, Will spluttered beer.

  “Nothing about this is funny,” Jace said darkly.

  “Oh, come on. You don’t think we’ve both been exactly where you are now?” Cole challenged. “Do you not remember when Kate was too scared to be with me because she thought my job was dangerous? Or that not-so-festive Christmas when Will moped an entire day because he was afraid he’d lost Megan?”

  “Damn,” Will said softly, “maybe we really have caused him brain damage. Jace, how long have you been having these gaps in your memory?”

  “He probably doesn’t remember,” Cole deadpanned.

  Jace got to his feet. “You two suck. I’m in pain here. Cole, the first time you became a father, you had nine months to get used to the idea. I’ve had less than nine weeks. I’m not perfect, okay? But I love that little girl, and I love her exasperating mother, and I’m losing them.”

  “Maybe that’s for the best,” Cole said. “Wait—Hear me out! I just mean that maybe a little time and space will be beneficial to you both. When I couldn’t convince Kate to accept my job, do you remember what I did? I let her go. And it was awful, worse than the time I got stabbed on a 10-16 call. But the time apart was what we needed to come back together stronger than ever.”

  “Layla and I already had our time apart.” They’d been together seven years ago. This had been their second chance, and she didn’t want it. Maybe she never would. His gut reaction had been to keep trying, to persuade her to change her mind, but that had only pushed her further away.

  She’d implied he wasn’t logical. Maybe the most logical thing he could do was learn from his mistakes and know when to walk away from a no-win situation.

  Chapter 15

  “We hate to see you go so soon,” Suzanne said, hugging Layla tightly.

  “Soon?” Layla echoed. She could barely remember a time before this trip. It had turned her life upside down and normalcy was a vague memory. “The only reason Addie and I haven’t already overstayed our welcome is because Gena is some kind of guardian angel. Anyone else would have kicked us to the curb by now. Besides, as I promised Mom, we’ll be back. Definitely for the holidays, if not sooner.” At the moment, the thought of seeing Jace again made her queasy, but he and Addie had begun to forge a bond; Layla had no intention of keeping them apart.

  “When you do come back, you’re welcome to stay with us,” Suzanne said. She walked over to where Addie sat by the playpen, explaining tornados to the babies, to say goodbye, leaving Layla with alone with Chris.

  She squeezed her brother’s uninjured hand. “I have a couple of things to tell you. Your friends and I banded together on a little fund-raising project. I had been planning to show it t
o you in person, but there’s been a slight production delay and I need to go. Just know, when you see it, that it was done with love and humor, and we all wanted to find a way to help.”

  Chris raised an eyebrow. “Production delay? I don’t know whether I’m grateful or scared.”

  “I think both are appropriate. And there’s something else... I wouldn’t even mention it, but with this being Cupid’s Bow, you might hear from someone else. In a moment of insanity, your friend Jace asked me to marry him.”

  “Seriously? That’s fantas—”

  “No, no, no. It was a mistake. It’s behind us now.”

  Chris frowned. “Wait. Is that why you’re leaving?”

  “I don’t know why people keep asking me about my reasons for leaving. I don’t actually live here! I was always planning to leave. Going back to my house and my job and Addie’s school isn’t running away.”

  “Okay, okay. Sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it. I just...like having you around.”

  “Well, I’ll make you a deal. You promise not to let any more seventeen-hundred-pound bulls step on you, and I promise to visit more.”

  He chuckled. “Solid plan. So, when you do visit again, do you and Jace have more milk shake dates planned?”

  “No. I want him to be part of Addie’s life, but... At the end of the day, he and I are two very different people.”

  She’d called last night to tell him she and Addie were headed out this morning. She’d assured him he was welcome to call his daughter but that it might be best if they developed a weekly schedule, rather than his randomly checking in during the middle of dinner or disrupting her bedtime routine. The conversation had been awkward and stilted, and he’d been almost unrecognizably cold to her. He was clearly angry she was leaving, which infuriated her. She could have left without any word at all, but she’d reached out, tried to be an adult about the situation. By the end of the conversation, she was snapping at him, a sarcastic version of herself she didn’t particularly like and not a great role model for her daughter. She didn’t want a future with an impulsive man-child who lashed out when he didn’t get his way.