Sweet Talking Rancher

by Kate Pearce

  “Were you thinking we could buy it together?” Danny stopped moving.

  “No!” Faith protested. “I was just thinking out loud about . . . possibilities.”

  Danny continued talking like she hadn’t spoken. “Because that’s some jump from friends with benefits.”

  “Like I’d do that to you.” Faith made a face at him. “We’re taking this one day at a time, remember?”

  “How could I forget when you remind me every day?” Danny countered. “And here’s another thing. If you come to dinner, are we supposed to act like we’re together or still just friends?”

  “I don’t know. What do you want us to do?” Faith asked as she suddenly realized he was being serious.

  He looked away from her for the first time, his gaze settling on the distant pine trees.

  “What?” Faith was determined to finish the damn conversation even if it killed her. “Just tell me, I promise I won’t bite.”

  He slowly turned to her, his gray eyes steady, his expression calm. “I guess I need more reassurance than I anticipated.”

  “About what?”

  “This.” He gestured at them both. “Us. I know if we admit we’re seeing each other there’s going to be a lot of talk—”

  “About me,” Faith interrupted him. “You’ll probably be fine.”

  “Is that what this is about?” Danny asked. “You’re worried about your reputation being trashed again?” He grimaced. “I hadn’t thought about it from that angle.”

  “Why should you?” She shrugged. “Everyone loves Danny Miller in Morgan Valley.”

  He frowned. “And that’s a problem for you?”

  “It might be when I’m always cast as the bad guy,” Faith said.

  He considered her for a long moment and then slowly nodded. “Okay, let’s keep it as we’re just good friends in front of everyone for now. And, if anyone inquires, because you know they will, I’ll stick to that.”

  “Thank you,” Faith said, and meant it.

  “Awesome.” His slow smile of appreciation warmed her heart. “Shall we push on? I want to get back before it gets too hot out here.”

  There were no more cows or calves in the Bryson fields. By the time they turned back, Faith was overheated and dispirited about the future of the ranch. She might not have had a good relationship with either of the Brysons, but she didn’t want them to fail. Every empty ranch was an open invitation to just the kind of development Morgan Valley had been trying to keep out. Was it worth asking Ben and Silver if they might buy the place or should she leave that up to Danny? If the Brysons ever found out she’d suggested such a thing, they’d never sell to the foundation.

  “Will you ask Ben about the ranch?” Faith said.

  “I don’t think it will do any good, but sure.” Danny leaned down to open the final gate into the yard. “The Brysons will still have to agree to it.”

  “Couldn’t they buy it anonymously if they had an auction?” Faith asked.

  Danny grinned at her. “Like anything in Morgan Valley could be kept a secret.”

  “I suppose that’s true.” Faith sighed. “Half the valley probably saw us sneaking up the back stairs at the wedding as well.”

  “No one’s mentioned anything about that to me,” Danny said as he dismounted and turned toward her, his arms held out. “Need a hand down?”

  “Yes, please.” She eased her booted feet out of the stirrups. “I haven’t ridden this much for years. I’ll be sore in the morning.”

  He lifted her down with an ease she could only appreciate. “I’ve got some great cream for that. Emu or ostrich or something. HW Morgan got samples of it at the national rodeo last year.”

  “No, thanks.” She looked up at him as he continued to massage her shoulder. “But I wouldn’t turn down an actual massage.”

  “Yeah?” He raised his eyebrows. “I learned a lot about that at college.”

  “I thought you were doing an agricultural degree?”

  “I was.” His smile widened. “The massage techniques were for horses, but I’m sure they could be adapted for humans.”

  She went to swat his Wrangler-covered ass, but he kissed her instead.

  When he raised his head, his expression was serious. “Can I ask you something?”

  “Sure.”

  “There are . . . organizations around now where you can put your name if you’re willing to be contacted by your adopted child.”

  Faith went still. “Is that something you’d want to do?”

  He shrugged. “It’s a long shot but I guess I like the idea that if Marcus did want to find us when he turned twenty-one, or even when he was older, that there might be a way for him to do it.” He searched her face. “What do you think?”

  “I . . . no, I’m not sure I’d want him to find us at all.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “Because what is he going to think when he finds out we were seventeen years old?”

  “That we were human and made a mistake?” His brow creased. “From what I understand you can also leave details about your family and what you’ve gone on to accomplish in your life, if it matters that much to you.”

  “I just don’t think it would be right to open that door,” Faith said in a rush.

  Danny’s smile had completely disappeared now. “Because you’re ashamed of who we were. I get it.” He nodded. “Then I’ll leave things alone.” He took her horse’s reins out of her unresisting fingers. “I’ll put these guys away while you start on the calves, okay?”

  Faith held her ground. “I’m not ashamed.”

  He looked back at her over his shoulder. “Sure sounds like it. Or are you just ashamed of me?”

  “That’s totally unfair!”

  “Why? You’re the one who’s gone on to become a vet, and I’m the fool who stayed home and still lives with his dad. You’re right.” He clicked to the horses and started moving again. “What kid would want a father like that?”

  “Why do you do this?” She stormed after him and headed him off in front of the barn. “Why do you constantly put yourself down?”

  “Because I’d rather get it out there front and center before anyone else says anything?”

  “You could’ve gone to college, Danny, like you planned,” Faith said steadily. “There was nothing stopping you.”

  “Sure.” He stared at her, a muscle flicking in his jaw, before shaking his head. “Nothing stopping me.”

  She had to hastily step aside as he came toward her and went into the barn.

  “Like what are you trying to say?” she called out to him, but he pretended not to hear. “All you had to do was take up one of those scholarship offers you had and leave.”

  He set the saddle and blanket over the top of one of the stall doors and focused his attention on removing the bridle before briefly looking up at her. “There’s no point in raking up the past right now, Faith. I shouldn’t have said anything. Just let it go.”

  “You can’t just say stuff and then tell me not to be concerned about it.” Faith actually stamped her foot. “Because I’m beginning to feel like you’re blaming me.”

  He led the horse into the stall, closed the door, and came back out to start on the second horse, his movements jerky and rushed, his attention anywhere but on her.

  Faith advanced toward him. “You do blame me, don’t you?”

  “Just . . . drop it, okay?”

  “Danny . . .”

  He finally looked her right in the eye. “I don’t think this conversation is helpful, do you?”

  “I don’t know.” Faith raised her chin. “Maybe these things needed to be said.”

  “Says the person who likes to compartmentalize everything.” Danny obviously wasn’t having it. “How about you tell me how things really are between you, Brandon, and Callie, and I’ll spill all the shit I had to deal with from our parents when you weren’t around?”

  “I was in a coma!” Faith shouted. “What the hell did you expec
t me to do?”

  “See? You won’t answer my question but expect me to listen to you defending yourself against what happened to me.”

  “That’s . . . not fair.”

  “Life’s not fair, Faith. We of all people should know that.”

  Her eyes filled with tears and the thought of letting him see even one of them fall made her turn around and leave the barn. She’d go and check on the calves and hopefully by then her desire to murder Danny Miller would have receded.

  * * *

  Danny took his time in the barn rubbing down the horses, checking their hooves, and making sure they had plenty of water. He was half hoping Faith might have decided to leave, but when he came out of the barn into the circular driveway, her truck was still parked there. He rarely lost his temper and he wasn’t feeling too good about his spat with Faith. She had always known him best—the good and the bad—and loved him for himself anyway.

  Not that she loved him right now, but she sure did get under his skin . . .

  He straightened his Stetson and went into the second barn where he found her in the feed room mixing hydrating solution up in one of the big plastic drums. He leaned against the doorway and observed the rigid line of her shoulders and the way she kept her face turned away from him.

  “I’m sorry,” Danny said simply. “I was out of line.”

  “Excuse me.” She hefted the plastic drum back onto the table. “I need to get past.”

  “I can take that,” Danny offered.

  “I’m quite capable, thanks.”

  He made no move to let her get by and she sighed.

  “Okay, I’m sorry, too.”

  He considered her for a long moment. “My dad refused to pay anything for me to go to college. And your dad said he would write to any college I intended to go to and ask them to rescind any scholarships because of my lack of moral character.”

  She went very still.

  “I didn’t want to get into that, because it happened a long time ago and I don’t want you getting mad at your dad all over again,” Danny explained. “He did what he thought was right to protect his daughter.”

  “Destroying your chance for a future?” She suddenly looked up at him.

  “As my dad had already withdrawn his offer of financial help I wasn’t going anywhere anyway,” Danny reminded her, “your father’s threat was just frosting on a cake that didn’t even exist.”

  “Don’t be nice about him,” Faith snapped. “If he was here right now, I’d . . . brain him with this plastic drum.”

  Danny looked at the full container. “Good job he isn’t, then, because that could do some damage.”

  She set down the drum and came toward him. He tensed, but she did nothing more threatening than walk into his arms.

  “God, I’m so sorry.” Her words were muffled against his chest. “For all of it.”

  He held her carefully, one hand smoothing over her back until she relaxed against him. Even as he soothed her it occurred to him that she still hadn’t offered him any explanation about what was going on with Brandon.

  Chapter Eighteen

  They’d patched things up and continued working together, but Faith was supremely conscious of the rift between her and Danny. Her father was still proving evasive, and the more she heard about his decision-making, the more she understood why. She got that he’d wanted to do his best for her and that the shock of her almost dying must have been hard to deal with, but his deliberate attempts to make Danny bear the brunt of all the blame didn’t sit well with her.

  She checked the calves over, glad to see that most of them were on the mend, and heard a truck horn on the driveway. After carefully washing up, she went through to see that three vehicles had arrived with Danny. His brother Ben got out of the second one and walked over to her. Unlike Danny, who favored his father, he was not only tall but broad, and redheaded. His smile was the same though.

  “Hey! I hear you need some new hands around here.”

  “You found some?” Faith asked.

  “Yeah, I managed to persuade half of the Brysons’ old crew to come back and Morgan Ranch offered a couple of guys, too. They all know the procedures for containing the scours outbreak. I guess you can keep them on their toes about that, too.”

  “We haven’t had any new cases for almost a week,” Faith said. “At the moment it’s just a question of keeping the remaining calves hydrated, testing as we go, and rereleasing them into uncontaminated fields.”

  “Sounds like a good plan.” Ben shaded his eyes and glanced over at the barn. “Okay if I come in and take a look while Danny organizes the guys?”

  “Sure, be my guest.”

  Faith already knew that Ben and Silver’s foundation had stepped up to pay the wages of the new crew and pay off the ranch bills, which meant if Doug and Sue Ellen did want to come back, they would be in a much better position to make a go of things.

  “Any news from the Brysons?” Ben asked.

  “Not a peep. They are both in Florida right now. Dr. Tio’s the only person they’ll talk to, which makes things a little difficult.”

  “I bet.” Ben paused to look at the remaining calves. “You’ve done a great job here, Faith.”

  “With a lot of help from Dave and Danny.”

  “I think Danny’s enjoyed it,” Ben said thoughtfully. “It’s good for him to get away from Dad and manage stuff on his own.”

  “Maybe if the Brysons decide to sell you should buy this place for him, then,” Faith said lightly.

  Ben looked down at her from his considerable height. Unlike Evan he’d never made her feel bad about the whole Danny thing and always treated her like a friend. “You think?”

  She shrugged. “It’s definitely an idea. He’d run it much better than the Brysons.”

  “Yeah, he would.”

  Ben lapsed into silence and contemplated the barn. He was a man of few words, so Faith didn’t take it personally.

  “I hear Mom invited you to Ellie’s going-away dinner.”

  “Yes, she did.” Faith wasn’t sure about the abrupt change of subject, but she wasn’t willing to challenge him on it.

  “You’re coming, right?” Ben walked over to the gate that stopped the calves leaving the barn. “You’re good for him.”

  “For Danny?” Faith sighed. “We argue all the time.”

  Ben grinned. “As I said.”

  “I’m not sure he sees it that way,” Faith said. “And, I don’t want to fight with him. I want him to be happy.”

  “Being happy doesn’t mean never being challenged, Faith. Sometimes it takes the bad shit to make you realize you are happy.” He suddenly straightened up and looked over his shoulder. “I should stop talking. Danny’s coming our way.”

  “We’re all set up and ready to go, boss,” Danny called out to them. “And, yeah, before you get any ideas, Ben, I am talking to Faith.”

  “She’s definitely the boss.” Ben turned around and looked down at Faith. “She’s been awesome.”

  “She has.” Danny’s smile warmed her. “Thankfully, with these guys taking on the bulk of the work going forward, both of us can get on with our lives again.”

  “Yes, thanks for that, Ben.” Faith patted his sleeve. “I can’t wait to get back to the rest of the work that’s been piling up around poor Jenna and Dave.”

  “No sleep for the wicked,” Ben joked. “I bet Dad’s got a mountain of chores for Danny to get on with when he gets back home as well.”

  “He’ll never let me leave again,” Danny groaned.

  “At least Adam’s back and Evan’s stepping up,” Ben remarked as they walked back through the barn. “Dad’s hardly shorthanded.”

  “Since I reorganized the way we use our manpower, I mean person power, and set up that new schedule for the entire cattle operation, even Dad acknowledges that things have been running more smoothly,” Danny said.

  “I wish you’d come on over and take a look at our operations, Bro,” Ben said. “I
’d really value your input.”

  “Only if you pay me a consulting fee,” Danny countered with a grin.

  Ben raised his eyebrows. “Of course I would. I don’t expect to get anything good for free these days.”

  “See?” Faith pointed at Danny. “I told you this the other day. Set up a website and take on consulting work.”

  For once Danny didn’t immediately shoot her suggestion down. He merely looked thoughtful. “I guess Daisy could help me with that.”

  Suddenly, Ben met her eyes and slowly winked before patting her on the shoulder.

  “We should get going. There’s a lot to do.”

  * * *

  Danny pulled up outside the McDonald place and wondered again why the hell he’d accepted Faith’s invitation to dinner. She’d said it was to celebrate their liberation from the Bryson place and he’d stupidly agreed. He checked the vehicles parked in the garage and was relieved to see that Dave was home.

  He opened the passenger door to retrieve the flowers and beverages he’d brought with him and self-consciously checked the collar of his newly ironed shirt. After over a week in the same two sets of clothes that he intended to set on fire after the scours infection was finally gone, it was nice to wear something different.

  Instead of sticking his head through the door into the mudroom and shouting just in case Dave decided to thump him again, he went up the path to the front door. He admired the slatted pine finish and the rocks pulled out of Morgan Creek that adorned the path and the walls. Ron Mac had done a great job on the design of the house. It looked like it had grown out of the hillside. The pine trees that surrounded the site offered shade and shelter and a stunning backdrop to the mainly wooden structure, which was currently lit up from within.

  “Hey, are you going to stand there all day?”

  Danny looked back at the door to find Dave regarding him.

  “Sorry, I was just appreciating the place. I’m planning on building something for myself and I’m always looking for inspiration,” Danny said as he went through into the house. “Your dad did a great job.”

  “He did.” Dave gestured at the flowers. “Are they for me?”