by Mary Eason
“You and Dad were friends?”
“Yes, but that’s not my point. After hearing the news yesterday about Sammy, well, I knew I had to find out the truth. I remembered your father telling me once your mother had family still in San Antonio. I must have called a dozen different numbers before I finally reached a relative. Your mother’s sister, Charlotte. Jack, your mother had diabetes. The same type as Sammy. So you see, it runs in your family.”
She squeezed Rachel’s hand. “You see honey, Sammy is Jack’s son.”
Rachel got to her feet and ran from the room.
Liz turned to Jack in surprise. “I thought this would make her happy? I don’t understand.”
Jack got to his feet and headed after her. “It does, it will. I’ll be right back. Hold that thought.”
Jack found her in their room. “Are you okay?”
She shook her head. “No. No, I’m not okay. You deserve so much more than me.”
He came to her and pulled her back against him. She could feel him grinning.
“How do you figure that?”
“I’m a horrible person. I run away from you. I keep you from your son. I marry a man I don’t love. And when you tell me you love me and you ask me to trust you, I can’t. When the first little thing comes along, I’m looking for trouble.”
“Oh Rachel.” He turned her in his arms. “Baby, you are not horrible. You are the best thing to ever happen to me. You gave me Sammy. You gave me back my life. I love you and I wouldn’t trade a moment of our life together. Now or in the past.
“Sammy’s your son, Jack. We have to tell him.”
He stopped her.
“What is it?” She look at him in surprise.
“No, Rachel. I’ve never had any doubt that Sammy was mine. But I know he loved Sam as well. I can’t take that from him. I have the rest of my life to be his father. Let’s leave the past where it belongs.”
And then he kissed her and she believed him. And in second chances.
The End
About the author
Mary Eason grew up in a small Texas town famous for, well not much of anything really. Being the baby of the family and quite a bit younger than her brothers and sister, Mary had plenty of time to entertain herself. Making up stories seem to come natural to her.
As a pre-teen, Mary discovered her first romance and was hooked. She knew instinctively that was what she wanted to do with her over-active imagination.
Today, Mary still lives in Texas, and still writes about romance. In fact, she can’t think of anything else she’d rather do.
The Rebel Rancher
Chapter One
Alec pulled his pickup truck into the last available short-term parking space outside of Bergstrom International Airport. It was still early in the day and yet the Texas heat had already threated to break another all-time record.
He grabbed his Stetson from the seat next to him and slammed the truck’s door a little harder than necessary, even for a 64 Ford with a contrary door latch.
It still galled him that he’d let his cousin talk him into doing his dirty work. The last thing he wanted was be party to another one of Drake’s gubernatorial schemes. Especially when it involved hurting his friend Jackie.
Alec clamped his Stetson low over his eyes to block out the afternoon sun as hurried inside to the American arrival gate to wait for Grace Richmond’s flight. He was already fifteen minutes late, yet according to the flight board, her plane had been delayed forty-five minutes.
“Oh, hell,” he exclaimed to no one in particular. A flight delay meant he’d be stuck at the airport half the afternoon.
It dawned on him then that he had no idea what the girl even looked like. Drake hadn’t bothered to tell him that little detail in his haste to convince him to pick her up.
Alec paced the waiting area, his patience for the situation all but gone. He should just walk out the door and leave Drake to clean up his own mess. While he toyed with the idea, the PA system announced her arrival. Now he was committed.
He watched as a stream of passengers filed past him, mostly couples and a few business travelers, yet no one who came close to what he imagined Grace would look like walked by.
Alec grabbed his cell phone from his pocket and had just started dialing Drake’s phone number when the last few passengers came through the gate. He spotted his girl.
First glance had him struggling to keep from laughing at the sheer ridiculousness of Drake’s plans. This girl wasn’t going to help him win the governor’s office, but it might get him landed in jail for statutory rape. Alec wasn’t sure where Drake got his facts, but the girl was close enough now for him to realize she barely looked a day over fifteen, if that.
She was dressed in jeans that had seen better days a few years back and a simple gray T-shirt that had some logo on it, probably some designer that seemed to be the fashion with the younger kids around town. Nothing about Grace Richmond would have him believe she came from the illustrious political stock Drake was counting on so desperately to give him the edge in the election.
She wore no makeup, emphasizing hazel eyes beneath smoky-colored lashes. She’d pulled her short blond hair up into a clip yet part of the curls were escaping.
She stopped a few feet past him and glanced around. Upon a second look, Alec decided she definitely wasn’t a child. Not by a long shot. She had all the right curves, enhanced by the tight jeans and snug-fitting T-shirt. Okay, so she had something going for her. But could Drake really compare her to Jackie, the woman he professed to love.
Alec took a step closer. “You Grace Richmond?” She swung around at the mention of her name, her startled gaze met his and two things became clear to him at that moment. Grace Richmond was very young, no matter what her birth certificate or her curves declared, and she was way out of her element. Yeah, Drake had definitely lost his mind.
“Yes, I’m Grace. Who are you?” Her eyes slipped over his faded jeans, white T-shirt, and broke in boots. A delicate flush spread over her cheeks and she couldn’t quite hold his gaze. He had a feeling something about him made her uneasy.
Alec quirked a grin. He had that effect on women. He’d gotten used to it.
He tapped his Stetson impatiently against his leg. He was just here to drop her off at the hotel. Whatever Drake was planning to do with her wasn’t his business.
“I’m Alec Standing—Drake’s cousin. Drake asked me to take you to your hotel. He was…unexpectedly detained.” Truth be told, Drake was probably right in the big middle of one hellacious argument with Jackie.
It was obvious, Grace wasn’t happy with the turn of events. She looked downright crushed. It occurred to him for the first time that Grace actually knew Drake. For some reason his cousin had given him the distinct impression that they’d never actually met.
“Oh no, that’s too bad. I was looking forward to seeing Drake again. I hope it’s nothing serious?”
Oh yeah, it was definitely something serious all right. Alec was surprised that half of Texas hadn’t heard Jackie yelling at Drake by now.
“So you and Drake have met before? I’m sorry I was under the impression that you hadn’t.”
She smiled a little and it wiped away some of that worried look from her face. She was actually quite pretty, Alec thought.
“Yes, we’ve met on several occasions. Drake was a good friend of my father’s and supported many of his causes. Will he be joining up with us later?”
Something even more disturbing than Drake’s lie occurred to Alec. This girl was infatuated with Drake.
Alec took the overnight bag from her. “I’ve no idea. I’m just here to take you to your hotel. Where are the rest of your things,” Alec asked impatiently. For some reason, Grace’s feelings for Drake annoyed him. Probably because he knew when this scheme of Drake’s came to fruition, the one person who was going to be hurt was Jackie.
“I don’t have any other bags. This is everything—”
“Good. Then let
’s go. Please,” Alec added as an afterthought then turned and walked away.
Drake had told Alec that he didn’t need to make polite conversation with her, well that was exactly what he intended to do. She could figure out what she needed to know on her own.
Alec headed for the terminal doors with Grace struggling to keep up. The late afternoon as the hot September sun blasted them with a gust of scorching humid air. The temperature had to be over a hundred today. Unusually warm, even for September in Texas. The heat waves rising above the black asphalt told him it was that and more.
He ignored the little voice inside his head that told him he was only confirming his reputation of being one of the most impatient people around Standing. Not that he cared. That certainly wouldn’t be the worst of his sins.
He slicked back his collar-length hair with his hand and put on the hat. Right now, he wanted to drop Grace off so that he could let his cousin have the full extent of his anger without her forming any further opinions of him. He had a sneaking suspicion he wouldn’t be on her most favorite list anytime soon.
Alec unlocked the truck, threw her bag in first, then waited for her to get in. She glanced in his direction but she didn’t say a word. He shut the door behind her then climbed behind the wheel.
They left the parking lot, heading in the direction of the expensive hotel that Drake had her registered in. The scent of her cinnamon perfume reminded him of how long it had been since he’d been this close to a woman who wasn’t part of his business, or who wasn’t Jackie. After his last disastrous relationship ended a few years back, Alec decided serious love wasn’t in the cards for him. He’d taken a much-needed break from dating then. So far, he hadn’t run into a woman yet who made him want to take another shot at love again.
Alec glanced at the girl close to him once more. Their eyes collided. Something unsettling passed between them and suddenly it was hard to catch his breath. He swallowed hard.
Somewhere close by, horn blared. Reality reared its ugly head and he glanced at the road ahead in time to realize he’d crossed the yellow line and almost tagged an oncoming car. Alec swerved back in the nick of time and kept his eyes on the road. He gave himself a mental shake. Best to leave those feelings unexplored because he’d only despise himself if he let his imagination go there. Especially knowing what lay in store for her.
The town of Standing, Texas had been named after its founder and Alec’s great-grandfather Redmond Standing. It was a small town built around the wealth of its more illustrious oil booming days. In later years, it was considered close enough to Austin, Texas to become something of a retreat for the rich city dwellers who wanted to play weekend ranchers and had the money to make that little fairy tale happen.
Alec stopped the truck in front of the hotel and waited. His patience was quickly deserting him. He needed to get rid of her before he said or worse yet, did something he’d regret for the rest of his life.
“This is it. This is where you get out. End of the road, honey.”
“I don’t understand? You’re just leaving me here? When will I see Drake?”
She turned away, but not before Alec saw fear in her and he closed his eyes, counting to ten. He wasn’t going to feel sorry for her—no way. She’d brought this all on herself. What type of woman travels thousands of miles to be with a man she barely knows anyway? And what exactly was she hoping to happen between herself and Drake?
“Don’t know… he didn’t say,” he added when the first part came out angry.
She shook her head. “It’s just that I don’t know anyone here and I thought Drake would be here to meet me and—”
Alec blew out a breath. “Look, I’m sure he’ll give you a call sometime later, once things have settled down. He just couldn’t get away to meet you now, so relax. Go inside, get checked in, and enjoy the extravagance that I’m sure won’t be wasted on you.” Alec didn’t quite keep the sarcasm from his voice as his gaze swept over her somewhat shabby appearance. He was more frustrated with his reaction to her than her obvious infatuation with Drake.
Alec kept his focus straight ahead. It was better this way, he kept telling himself.
“I promise I’ll tell him to give you a call as soon as possible so that you don’t feel so alone, okay? Now if you don’t mind I have places to be.”
She reached for her bag and didn’t look at him as she got out of the truck. But Alec couldn’t stop watching her as she walked with head held high inside the hotel.
She’s beautiful. Oh, not in the same way the women he normally dated were, drop-dead, sophisticated beautiful. But there was something about her. Maybe it was all that innocence she exuded that he didn’t trust for a second. She looked sweet and untouched. Something he never found himself attacked to before. Gullible was more like it. She’d fall in with Drake’s plans for her future without a second thought.
That thought didn’t sit so well.
He waited because he found he couldn’t just drive away. He watched her check in and then walk to the elevators. She certainly didn’t move like a child. She had a gracefulness about her that didn’t really fit his image of her. She was all woman in spite of her innocence. Something about her left him unsettled, uncertain for the first time of what he should do. She didn’t have a clue what she was up against and Drake would eat her alive.
Still it wasn’t his problem. She wasn’t his concern and from his reaction to her now, he’d best keep it that way. The less he had to do with Grace Richmond the better.
A car horn blared behind him and he put the truck into gear and left the hotel in his rearview mirror.
He was halfway back to the interstate when Drake finally answered his phone. “Okay, you mind telling me just what kind of game you think you’re playing here?”
His question met with silence. Alec could almost picture his cousin trying to figure out what he was referring to so that he could come up with the most politically correct answer.
“Did you get her to the hotel okay?”
“Cut the crap, Drake.”
“’Cuse me? I’m not sure I’m hearing you correctly, Alec. Your cell phone’s cutting out. What are you talking about?”
“You know what I’m talking about. Why didn’t you tell me you and this girl actually knew each other? Why’d you lead me to believe you had never met her before? She was a little disappointed that you weren’t there to meet her personally. What exactly did you promise her? Did you know she’s got it bad for you?”
More silence followed, which only confirmed that Drake knew about Grace’s misplaced feelings for him and was counting on them to make his little plan work.
“So you did know? Don’t you think that’s a little underhanded, cuz? I mean she has a crush on you as big as Texas and you’re going to exploit that for your own gain. You don’t care at all that she’s going to get hurt when you tell her you were just using her name to get yourself elected.”
“Alec, you know I always value your thoughts,” Drake said in his best gubernatorial tone. “And your concern for Grace is touching, but let me handle this, will you? Yes, I did know Grace before, but only slightly. We’ve met maybe a half dozen times at best, so I doubt that she’s seriously infatuated. Grace has always had a bit of a crush on me. But honestly, do you really think I would stoop to use her feelings against her?”
Alec didn’t hesitate. “Yes. If it gets you into the office, I’ve no doubt you’d use them.” He stopped the truck in the parking lot next to the local shopping center, debating the wisdom of going back to the hotel and putting Grace Richmond on the next plane out of Austin.
“You don’t understand what’s at stake here, Alec. How much having the Richmond name in my corner will help my campaign, so stay out of it.”
“The Richmond name? Did you ever stop and consider for a moment that there’s a person with very strong feelings for you, however misguided they might be, attached to that name? What price is she going to have to pay to get you elected to governor? You
think she’ll consider it worth it in the end? Will Jackie?”
Alec heard the dreaded silence again and knew that once again his cousin was trying to come up with just the right answer to pacify him. Alec couldn’t help but wonder when the man who’d been so caring as a child, so concerned for others, had become this stone-cold unemotional politician. Drake had been everything that Alec wasn’t, growing up and as a young adult. Since being bitten by the political bug, he’d changed so dramatically that he was hardly recognizable.
“What do you want me to say?” Drake said at last. “This isn’t a fair fight by any means, but I do have some good intentions in spite of what you think. I’ve no plans of leading Grace on, but I do need her to help me win this race so that I can do something good for Texas. Something that will make a difference in this state’s future. I just need you to trust me on this.”
“That’s the one thing I won’t do. You need to straighten this out and make sure Grace is clear on what it is you want from her right now, or I’ll do it for you. Beyond that, you can leave me out of the politics from now on.”
Alec flipped the phone shut and sat with his hands on the wheel, still torn. He hated to admit feeling anything for Grace Richmond, but he did. It was just that she looked as if she were all alone in the world. She didn’t stand a chance against Drake and all of his goons. They’d have her agreeing to things she had no idea about. Not an inkling of what it would cost her, or what she was letting herself into simply because she had some childish infatuation with his cousin.
He crushed his mind’s picture of just how sweet and innocent she’d looked to him before those thoughts had a chance to form into other things. This was none of his business. She’d gotten herself into this mess without his help. She could just get herself out the same way.
Standing On The Edge Of Goodbye – Book One of Treasures Of The Rockies Series