Home on the Ranch: Colorado Cowboy SEAL

by Laura Marie Altom

  Robin looked up to find her lips mere inches from his. In the moment, nothing seemed more natural, more desirable, than standing on her tiptoes to close that gap. He tilted his head, as if fully planning to meet her halfway.

  Heart pounding, mouth dry, Robin struggled for her next erratic breath. In the heart of this boisterous crowd, it felt as if she and Laredo were the only two souls left on earth. Much to her secret shame, she liked it. The last time she’d been with Chuck was long before Lark had been born. Right after he’d last forced himself on her, she’d left him and filed a restraining order.

  Her every instinct told her that if she and Laredo did share a kiss, nothing would ever feel more right. All she had to do was rise up. Lean in. Take a deep breath and let herself fall...

  She’d grown perilously close to doing all of that when a voice called from the crowd. “Hey, Laredo! Thought you two were just friends?”

  Laredo was once again mumbling curses.

  Kyle stood on the grass beside the bleachers. No matter how desperately she wanted to run, Robin knew there was no escaping him.

  At some point between the time she’d almost kissed Laredo and now, the crowd had thinned.

  Kyle beamed up at them as if he were a woman at a crowded beauty shop, intent on wagging what he saw as a gossipy bone. “Don’t stop on my account.”

  Laredo glared.

  “Need help?” Kyle held out his hand to help her down.

  Not wanting to raise his suspicions by being rude, she took his hand, dropping it the instant she stood on firm ground.

  Tipping his uniform hat back, Kyle said, “I’m on my way to pick up a couple guys who had too many beers, but since I saw you, I wanted to thank you again for helping with the recruitment booth. You had fifteen young men fill out forms of intent and three young women. That’s a record.”

  Laredo whistled. “Nice.”

  “You’d better watch out. With numbers like that, the Navy might want you back.”

  He chuckled. “They can want all they want, but I’m happy on my homestead.”

  “Understood. You two enjoy the rest of your afternoon.”

  “Will do,” Laredo said with a wave.

  “That’s great,” Robin said. “What did you tell those teens that garnered so much interest?”

  “The truth.” Lips pressed into a thin line, he said, “I didn’t glamorize what’s a seriously dangerous job, but told them despite the good and bad, I had no regrets. Who knows? Maybe straight talk piqued their curiosity enough to give it a try.”

  “Maybe.”

  “How are you?” He nudged her shoulder with his. “I know you’d planned to avoid Kyle.”

  “True. But like most worries, this turned out to be no big deal.”

  “Are you saying you don’t really have cause to fear a confrontation with him?”

  I wish. “Let’s just say that unless he’s specifically looking, he’d have no reason to believe I’m anything other than a single mom on her way for a nice visit with her grandparents.”

  Walking side by side, they headed back toward the carnival midway. Lark had fallen asleep, resting her flushed cheek on Laredo’s shoulder.

  Robin’s chest swelled from the sweet sight.

  “But if he did take a closer look at you—even going so far as to do a computer search using your real name—you feel fairly certain he wouldn’t like what he finds?”

  Chapter 8

  Shut up! Laredo told himself, so why the hell wouldn’t his lips quit yapping? The moment he’d asked the question, Mary’s suddenly pale expression told him he’d hit a painful nerve. “Never mind,” he said. “Forget the whole issue.”

  She froze.

  “Mary, really. It’s okay. Whatever you did, whoever you were, I don’t want to know. First thing Monday morning, I’ll run you over to Jimmy’s, he’ll fix your tires and you’ll be on your way. The two of us will most likely never see each other again.”

  Nodding, she swallowed hard.

  Her big brown eyes welled with tears.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I’m going to miss you.”

  Likewise. “Maybe I could come see you in Arkansas. I’ve never been. Ned and Augusta could watch the goats and chickens.”

  She shook her head. “That would never work.”

  “Why not?”

  “It just wouldn’t.”

  “Try me.”

  “It’s complicated. Beyond messy.”

  “While in the Navy, messy was my specialty.”

  “I don’t doubt you’d come out the hero in any given situation, but there’s nothing the least bit heroic about what I’ve done.” Head bowed, more tears flowed.

  They’d made it to the midway. He dodged ten feet to the left to take a few napkins from a holder alongside a hot dog stand.

  “Hey!” the clerk called through the food truck’s open side window. “Those are for customers only!”

  Laredo kept right on walking.

  “Here.” After handing Mary the wad of paper, he backed her onto a bench, shielding her from passersby. Shadows were lengthening, and the crowd had transitioned from families to couples attending that night’s concert. Three bands would be playing and the carnival rides kept spinning till midnight. “You do know there’s nothing I can do to help if you don’t tell me what’s wrong?”

  She nodded.

  Three youngish teen guys raced past.

  Five squealing girls chased after them.

  The sudden noise that was even louder than the racket drifting from the midway woke Lark with a start.

  Laredo tried jiggling and rocking her back to sleep, but she wasn’t having it.

  “Let me have her.” Mary sniffled and dried her eyes. “Sorry for my meltdown. Yesterday and today have been such a stark contrast to what my life has been that it reminded me what I’ve been through isn’t normal. This—being with you at a cheesy festival, making silly bets on whether or not a chicken will run—is the sort of idyllic life I’ve been searching for. This day is the kind of thing I wanted Lark growing up remembering.” She teared up again but blotted her eyes. “I can only pray she never remembers a single thing about her father.”

  “What did he do?” Still jiggling the baby, Laredo sat beside her. “It’s just me and you here.” And it was. There might have been a crowd of a couple thousand, but there was anonymity to be found amongst the sea of people.

  “M-my name isn’t Mary.”

  He nodded. “Not a surprise.”

  “I-it’s Robin.”

  “Nice meeting you, Robin. When you’re ready, tell me what Lark’s father did that scared you bad enough to make you take on an assumed identity.”

  “I can’t.”

  “Can’t or won’t?” He didn’t mean to snip at her. If fact, if he was a gentleman, he’d have offered to make a solo hike to the truck, picking up her and the baby for the long trek home. But if he left them, given her current skittish behavior, there was no guarantee they’d be here when he came back. “Sorry. Forget I asked. Let’s get to the truck and head home. It will be dark soon. I don’t like driving at night.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Stop apologizing. You didn’t do anything wrong.” That I know of. The truth was murkier. He didn’t have a clue what she’d really done. The longer she kept her big secret, the more he wondered just how serious her actions may have been. He had to find out. That was the only way to save her. “Come on. Let’s go.”

  He held out his hand.

  She accepted.

  For the moment, Lark’s wide-eyed fascination with the bright midway lights took precedence over her cries. Thank God. Laredo couldn’t handle two crying females at once.

  It took thirty minutes to reach the truck.

  Another hour to escape the congested field-
turned-parking lot.

  By the time he steered the truck onto the main highway leading out of the chaotic town, the sky was streaked with orange, purple and red. Any ordinary man would look at such a spectacular sun setting over distant mountains with a smile.

  The majestic sight made Laredo scowl.

  He had about fifteen minutes until his peripheral vision grew nonexistent and his front sightlines narrowed to maybe a ten-foot swath. Basically, he could see the width of a chicken race lane. Just what a man wanted when charged with his family’s safety.

  Only Lark and Robin weren’t his.

  Would never be his.

  Why couldn’t he get that fact through his thick skull?

  With both ladies dozing, Laredo punched the gas on the paved road, trying to save precious daylight for the dirt road to come. For the most part, the trip was a straight shot. But the higher in elevation they got, the more twists, turns and drop-offs there were.

  Twenty minutes later, darkness had fallen.

  He switched on the high beams, but they were no match for his condition.

  Sweat popped out on his forehead.

  His heart hammered.

  His vision had tunneled to the point that he’d slowed the truck to a fifteen-miles-per-hour crawl. At this rate, he wouldn’t reach the homestead till Christmas. It had been irresponsible of him to let this happen. He should have told Mary—correction, Robin—that the last races were too late. That they needed to be on the road before then. But he’d been too damned busy contemplating kissing her to consider the ramifications of what delaying their exit truly meant.

  The harder he stared at the road, the worse his vision grew until his line of sight narrowed to a measly five feet. He could no longer see either side of the road—just barely enough to keep going.

  One at a time, he removed his trembling hands from the wheel to wipe his sweating palms on the thighs of his jeans. Time and distance stretched into an endless tunnel through which he couldn’t find his bearings. Were they fifteen minutes from home or fifteen hours?

  He hated this.

  Being weak.

  Incapable of providing adequate care for the two gals who had in such a brief time grown to be important fixtures in his life.

  “Laredo?” Robin’s voice drifted to him as if it passed through a dense fog. Was he losing his hearing, too? “Are you okay?”

  He couldn’t answer. If he took his attention from the road, there was no telling what could happen. There could be a five-hundred-foot cliff mere inches from either tire. One false move and he’d kill them all.

  His heart beat faster and harder until he realized the truck was no longer moving at all. Just his chest—struggling to find his next breath.

  “What’s wrong?” asked a feminine voice through the ether. “How can I help?”

  “I—I can’t see.” His voice was hoarse. His tone defeated. “I can’t see.”

  “It’s okay,” she said. “It’s not, but you know what I mean. Let’s trade places. I have good night vision. My best guess is we’re still about thirty minutes from your place. The landscape is nice and flat here with plenty of room for us to get out and switch.” She leaned forward, wrapping her hand around his that gripped the wheel so tight he wasn’t sure he could ever let go. “But even if it weren’t, there’s not a lot of traffic, right?”

  “I c-can’t s-see...” He didn’t want to break down. He refused to break down. She needed a real man—not some busted-ass imposter of the man he used to be. Tears stung his eyes but he refused to let them spill.

  “Since your foot’s already on the brake, I’m putting the truck in Park. Okay?”

  He nodded.

  He flinched when her arm crossed his stomach.

  “It’s okay,” she said. “I’m opening your door. The truck is safely in Park. All you need to do is inch out. I’m right here. Hold my hand.”

  When he clasped her hand to his, he laced their fingers, holding her like she was his only lifeline, because at this moment, she was.

  “You’ve got this. A little farther...”

  He slid off the familiar bench seat until the soles of his cowboy boots hit the ground.

  Still holding his hand, he felt the jolt as she landed beside him.

  When she wrapped her arms around his waist, holding him close, unwanted release shattered his self-control. Tears of frustration and rage and sorrow flowed. This wasn’t how his life was supposed to have turned out. Compared to other guys he knew, he had it lucky. He had most of his vision and all his limbs. Why couldn’t he get his shit together? Why had he chosen now to throw himself a pity party?

  “It’s okay,” she said. “Everything’s going to be okay.”

  “I’m sorry. I hate letting you down.”

  “Letting me down?” Voice raspy, she said, “You’re my hero. You not only saved my daughter from a carjacker, but you’re providing us food, shelter and fun. You’re amazing.”

  “Stop.”

  “No, you stop. So you’ve got an issue with your night vision. Big deal.”

  “It is—it’s a freaking huge deal.”

  “Know what? Compared to the fact that I killed my husband, it’s nothing.”

  He froze.

  She released him, then took a step back. Through his narrowed line of sight, in the headlights’ glow, he saw her raise trembling hands to cover her mouth.

  “There it is,” she said. “My big secret.”

  “What do you mean, you killed him? Like shot him or what?”

  She shook her head. “Nothing like that. But his parents fully blame me. I had a restraining order against him, but that night he was angry about a band canceling at the last minute for a big show. He showed up at my apartment drunk, demanding to see Lark. When I refused him, he kicked in the door. He never hit my face—never wanted proof of what he’d done—but he grabbed me by my upper arms, shoving me to the floor. He kicked me over and over. I knew not to scream or cry or even whimper until his rage was spent. Once it was, and he’d locked himself in the bathroom, I grabbed Lark and my purse and bolted for my car. Because of my fear, I kept emergency supplies and cash in the trunk. I was backing out of the driveway when he darted out after us. Not thinking of anything other than keeping me and my baby safe, I just drove. When I heard another car’s horn and screeching brakes...”

  “So he was hit?”

  “Yeah. Instantly killed.”

  “Good riddance.”

  “That night, after the police questioning and dealing with his parents, I couldn’t bear going back to my apartment—knowing it was trashed. That night, Lark and I stayed in a hotel, but I got zero sleep. Chuck’s father’s accusations kept circling in my head. He accused me of making his son crazy. Said if I’d been a better wife, he’d still be alive. He even called me an unfit mother—threatened to sue for full custody of Lark. I was so scared that when he made the custody threat again at the funeral I had no choice but to run. I can’t live without my baby...”

  She broke down.

  “Come here...” Now, Laredo was the one pulling her into his arms. His pulse had calmed and knowing her secret made him all the more determined to save her. He hadn’t imagined those fading bruises he’d seen that morning. But with her ex in the ground and her father-in-law’s threats most likely empty, her days of worry and fear were behind her. “Everything’s going to be okay.”

  She nodded against his chest.

  “Get us home, then just to give you added peace of mind, I’ll do an online search for California custody laws concerning grandparents. After that, we’ll plan our next move.”

  “W-wouldn’t that be my next move?”

  “Not anymore. If you want, I’ll be with you every step of the way.” Earlier, his heart raced because of his poor vision, but now, it thundered for an entirely different reason—he feared h
er telling him she’d rather go it alone.

  * * *

  “Thank you,” Robin said. “I’d like that.” It was odd thinking of herself as her true identity as opposed to Mary—the woman for whom she’d purchased a driver’s license and practiced using her name. Honestly? The whole plan to involve her grandparents in hiding her from Chuck’s parents had been ill-conceived from the start. They’d cautioned her against running off with her former husband, but she’d believed herself madly in love. She’d been incapable of seeing anything other than his larger-than-life persona. He considered some of the biggest names in country and rock to be close friends. What would he see in a small-town bumpkin like her?

  What had he seen? A malleable, naive young woman over whom he believed he’d exerted ultimate control. Only she’d taken it back—for a short while. Although if his parents did somehow take her baby, tragically, even from his grave he’d have ultimately won.

  “Well...” She forced a deep, shuddering breath. “Should we get going? We’re probably on borrowed time until Lark realizes it’s an hour past her dinnertime and wakes with a vengeance.”

  “Sure.” He brushed past her to climb into the truck, easing to the bench seat’s center. “You’ll need to adjust the seat. The control switch is on the side.”

  “Good to know.” Sitting behind the wheel of Laredo’s truck felt beyond odd, and she did use the magic button to bring her right foot closer to the gas and brake pedals.

  He sat ramrod straight with his arms crossed.

  “How are you doing?” she asked after putting the truck in gear and easing up to speed.

  “Let’s just say it’s been quite a night—for us both.”

  “You are beyond kind—helping me.”

  “Any decent human would.”

  “Sadly, even though my apartment complex houses hundreds of people, not a single one stepped in to help.” Not entirely true. How many times had Mrs. Jerome called police, but Robin refused to press charges? But how could she when her ex threatened to kill her and Lark if she ever exposed his monstrous actions. “You’re a good man, Laredo. The best.”