Luke

by R. C. Ryan

  Ingrid shot him a look. “Gambling? Why am I not surprised?” To her sister she said sternly, “You’ll stick to Fish, young lady.”

  “We won’t play for real money.” Luke winked at Lily. “We’ll play for something else. Maybe for chores?”

  Lily picked up on that instantly. “You mean, if I beat you, you have to do my barn chores?”

  “Or, if I beat you, you’ll have to do mine.”

  Her face fell, but only for a moment. She brightened. “Okay. ’Cause I beat you at Fish more than you beat me.”

  “Yeah. I noticed that. I’ve been meaning to ask if you’ve been peeking at the cards.”

  The little girl put her hands on her hips. “I would never cheat.”

  Luke laughed at the outraged look on her face. “I know, Li’l Bit.”

  Her smile returned. “Oh. You were just teasing me again.” She dug into the pocket of her jeans and pulled out the dollar bill. “Thanks for my prize, Luke.”

  “You earned it, Li’l Bit.”

  “Good night, Luke.” Without thinking she threw her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “Yeah. See you.”

  To her big sister she called, “You coming up to hear my prayers?”

  “I’ll be there in a minute.”

  Luke sat perfectly still and waited until Lily danced up the stairs. Then he touched a finger to his cheek.

  When he saw Ingrid staring, he started toward the kitchen. “I think I’ll make a fresh pot of coffee. Want some?”

  “Sure. I’ll just be a few minutes.” She shoved away from the desk and climbed the stairs.

  A short time later she returned to the parlor to find Luke on his knees in front of the fireplace, coaxing a thin flame to some kindling. On the coffee table was a tray holding two mugs and a pot of coffee, along with cream and sugar.

  Ingrid poured the coffee and crossed the room to hand Luke a steaming mug.

  “Thanks.”

  She nodded toward the fire. “That feels good.”

  “Yeah. Getting chilly in here. The temperature must be dropping.”

  “Mick said rain’s coming in.”

  “He watched the news?”

  She shook her head and picked up a mug of coffee for herself. “He claims his bones let him know when rain’s coming.”

  They shared a laugh as they settled into two overstuffed rockers in front of the fire.

  Luke stretched out his long legs to the heat. “This is nice.”

  “Yeah.” Ingrid fell silent while she sipped her coffee.

  “I saw you going over the bills.” He indicated the desk across the room. “Everything okay?”

  She shrugged. “I do the best I can. I pay the most important bills first. Taxes. Insurance. But I lost a field of hay, and that’s going to cost me this winter.”

  “You could sell off the entire herd after roundup, and then you wouldn’t need the feed.”

  “What’s a cattle ranch without cattle?”

  “You could keep a bare-bones herd. A bull. A couple of broodmares.”

  “And start over?”

  “It’s what ranchers do when they’re up against hard times. You’d not only save the cost of feed all winter, but you could also start saving to pay the salaries of a couple of wranglers next spring.”

  “There’s not much need of wranglers without a herd.”

  “There are fences to mend. Buildings to repair. By the time you’ve built up a new herd, your ranch would be in good shape and you could concentrate on being a cattle rancher.”

  She gave a long, deep sigh. “Oh, Luke, you make it sound so easy.”

  He set aside his coffee. “It’s never easy. If people like us wanted easy, we’d sell everything and take up a trade. Nobody around here is ranching because we’re looking for a slick life. But this is our heritage. It’s what our fathers did. Our grandfathers. It’s in our blood.”

  He saw a tear slide down her cheek. Alarmed, he dropped to his knees in front of her and caught her hands in his. “Hey. I’m sorry, Ingrid. I didn’t mean to make you cry. I always say more than I—”

  “Shhh.” She touched a finger to his lips to stop his words. “I never knew anyone else felt this way. I’ve never been able to put it into words. But you said exactly what’s in my heart. I love this ranch, Luke. I want, more than anything, to make it work so Lily and I can stay here. And I’m so afraid I’ll fail.”

  When she started to withdraw her hand, he caught it between both of his and lifted it to his lips, pressing a kiss to the palm and closing her fingers around it.

  Stunned, she merely stared at him, her eyes swimming with tears.

  Maybe it was the tears. Maybe it was the moment. Whatever the reason, he leaned into her and framed her face with his big hands.

  And then his mouth was on hers, and his fingers were in her hair, and they strained toward each other with a hunger that caught them both by surprise.

  The old rocker creaked as Luke stood, his arms going around her, dragging her to her feet.

  She clung to his waist, offering her mouth for another drugging kiss. He took what she offered with a fierceness that had her gasping before she allowed herself to sink into the pure pleasure.

  There was such strength in him. In the arms that gathered her close. In the control she could feel in him as he kept his kiss gentle, even though his breathing was ragged.

  When at last she pushed slightly away and dragged in a rough breath, she saw the fierce look in his eyes and knew he could easily take this further. But to his credit, he respected her enough to allow her to set the pace.

  “Fear is always biting at a rancher’s heels. Fear of bad weather. Fear of a failed herd or crop. But we fight back the fear and keep going. It’s what we do.”

  “Thank you, Luke.”

  He shot her a rogue’s grin. “For the kiss?”

  She flushed. “For the words. I needed to hear them.”

  Seeing him watching her closely, her flush deepened. “Well, for the kiss, too. I guess I needed it more than I realized.”

  “Always happy to oblige, ma’am. You just let me know whenever I can be of help again.”

  “So noble.” She couldn’t help laughing. “Don’t let it go to your head, cowboy.”

  She walked to the stairway and turned to him. “You’ll bank the fire before coming up?”

  “Looks like I have no choice.”

  At his double meaning she laughed again.

  And continued laughing as she climbed the stairs to her room.

  Chapter Nine

  Luke’s sleep was disturbed by the sound of a door slamming and voices raised in anger. One he identified as Nadine’s. The other was a male voice he hadn’t heard before. He pulled on his jeans before reaching for his rifle beside the bed. Shirtless and barefoot, he started down the hall.

  Ingrid’s door opened. Her hair was tousled, her eyes heavy lidded from sleep. She was barefoot and wearing a faded football jersey that fell below her knees.

  They stared at each other in silence, before Ingrid led the way down the stairs.

  She paused in the doorway of the kitchen, and Luke stepped up behind her to stare at Nadine, hands on hips, facing a heavyset, grizzled cowboy who was shaking a fist in her face.

  Neither Nadine nor her cowboy took any notice of Ingrid and Luke as they lobbed a fierce volley of curses at each other.

  “I told you.” His voice was fierce. “The money first. Then we’ll go to your bedroom.”

  “And I told you. You’ll get your money in the morning.” A rough, scratchy chuckle. “If I think you earned it.”

  “Why you—” The stranger caught a handful of Nadine’s hair and tugged her head back so hard she cried out. At the same instant, his hand was around her throat.

  Luke stepped in front of Ingrid and took aim with his rifle. “Step away from the woman.”

  Two heads came up sharply as Nadine and the stranger turned to the door
way.

  Luke’s voice was pure ice. “I said step away from her. Now.”

  At once the man released his hold on Nadine, before turning on her with a look of absolute fury. “Who the hell is this guy?”

  “Some cowboy who thinks he has the right to butt in where he isn’t wanted.” Nadine glowered at Luke, and then at her daughter. “You’ve got no right to interfere in my business.”

  “Some business.” Ingrid’s tone revealed a depth of sadness. “Are you reduced to paying for his service now?”

  “Since you drove him off the property at the end of your rifle, he said he wouldn’t come back unless he was paid.”

  Luke realized this was Lon Wardell. He wouldn’t have recognized this bloated, worn-out cowboy as the cocky, muscled wrangler who had once worked on his family’s ranch over twenty years ago. That Lon Wardell had walked with a swagger and had bragged about owning his own ranch one day. A sprawling ranch that would rival the Malloy spread.

  Ingrid turned to the cowboy. “What’s the matter, Lon? Can’t afford a room in Wayside?”

  His voice was old. Weary. “She wanted to come here.”

  “Well, she’s here.” Ingrid pointed to the door. “And you’re still not welcome. So get. Now.”

  He opened his mouth, then shut it quickly when Luke took careful aim, backing up Ingrid’s order.

  He directed his fury at Nadine. “I’m done, you hear? I’m sick and tired of your empty promises.”

  “They weren’t empty.” Nadine shot a hateful look at Ingrid. “This ranch is still mine. And I can give it to whoever I please. You make the right choice, Lonny honey, you could still have that dream of owning your own place.”

  “Over my dead body.”

  At Ingrid’s words, he shot her a chilling smile. “Careful what you say. It can be arranged”—he snapped his fingers—“like that.”

  Luke took a step toward him. “You’ve got to the count of five to be out of here and off the lady’s property.”

  It was obvious the cowboy was giving some thought to testing him. Then, seeing the look in Luke’s eyes, he turned and beat a retreat.

  As the sound of his truck faded in the night, Nadine vented all her fury on Ingrid. “How dare you interfere in my life?”

  “Interfere?” Ingrid hissed out a breath. “He was about to use you for a punching bag.”

  “He didn’t mean it. It was just love play.”

  “Of course it was.” Ingrid faced her mother, her voice trembling with emotion. “If you believe that, you’ve got a twisted sense of love.”

  “You’d better be very careful how you treat me, missy. I’m still legal owner of this place. And if I feel like it, I can give it to anybody I please. Even Lonny.”

  “Then you’d have to live here. And being a rancher’s wife has never been your style.”

  Nadine brushed past Ingrid and Luke and headed for the stairs, swearing a blue streak as she did.

  When Nadine was gone, Ingrid sank down on a kitchen chair. Her hands, Luke noted, were shaking.

  He set the rifle in a corner of the room. “I’ll make some coffee.”

  Within a few minutes the air was filled with the fragrance of coffee bubbling on the stove. Luke filled two cups and handed one to Ingrid.

  “Thanks.” She sipped, and some of the color began returning to her cheeks. “And thanks for backing me up. Judging by Lon’s temper, and the fact that he was very drunk, I doubt he’d have given up if I’d faced him alone.”

  “You should never be alone with that guy.” Luke sat across from her. “Neither should Nadine. I didn’t like what I saw in his eyes.” When she raised a brow, he added, “A look of desperation. That can make a man do dangerous things.”

  He took his time, giving her the chance to steady herself before asking, “Is this a pattern with Nadine? Violent men?”

  She shook her head. “Except for Lon Wardell, I’ve never met any of the men in her life. And Lon’s temperament is as far from my father’s as possible. My dad was soft-spoken, hardworking, and, with all of us, as gentle and accepting as a lamb. Whenever she came home after one of her absences, he always welcomed her back as though it was the most normal thing in the world for his wife to be gone for long stretches of time.”

  Luke fiddled with his spoon. “She seems a bit…desperate.”

  Ingrid nodded. “I agree. But I don’t know what to do about it. Dad used to call it her crazy side. He said there was a crazy lady hidden inside her that fought to get out. And whenever it succeeded, all he could do was stand back and watch her go. Sometimes it took weeks, sometimes months.” She shook her head. “Or years. Then she’d come back, all happy and normal until the next time.”

  Ingrid ran a hand through her cap of hair. “I’m so tired of it all. The threats of giving away all that Dad worked so hard to own. The drunken trips to Wayside. The strangers she hangs with.”

  “It’s a lot of drama.”

  “And I’m sick and tired of it.”

  Hearing the weariness in her tone, Luke topped off their cups.

  “Thanks.” Ingrid eyed him over the rim of her cup. “Why are you staying here, Luke?”

  He gave a nonchalant shrug. “Why not? You saved my life. I’d like to do something in return to help you.”

  She eyed him squarely. “Most people would say thank you and move on. If that wasn’t enough, maybe a note, or flowers, or…” She sighed. “Most people would be so eager to get away from all this, they’d run screaming into the night.”

  He gave her an unexpected wink. “I guess I’m not most people.”

  “You’re not like anybody I’ve ever known.”

  “Good. That’s part of my charm.”

  She laughed out loud. “You always have the perfect answer to everything.”

  “Just part of the package, ma’am.” He gave an exaggerated drawl. “Not only charming, but smart as a whip, too.”

  Before she could think, she closed a hand over his. “Oh, I needed to have something to laugh about.” Realizing what she’d done, she lifted her hand away.

  Luke caged her hand between both of his. “It’s nice to have someone to share the laughter with.”

  She looked at their joined hands. “Yeah. It is nice.” She paused a beat, letting her gaze trail that muscled chest and torso before adding, “Just don’t fool yourself into believing that I’m falling for all that muscle and charm.”

  He bit back a grin. “Not for a minute, ma’am.”

  Seeing that their cups were empty, Luke picked up his rifle and caught her hand. “Come on. You can still manage a couple of hours of sleep before you have to start your chores.”

  Upstairs, Ingrid paused outside her bedroom. “I know I already thanked you, but let me say it again. I’m really grateful you’re here, Luke.”

  “So am I. Good night.”

  He waited until she stepped inside and closed her door before moving on to his own room. Once inside, he walked to the window and stared out at the midnight blackness.

  He admired Ingrid for fighting to salvage her father’s heritage. He knew, in her place, he’d do the same. But a clear-eyed look at the odds against her had him wondering how much longer one determined woman could hold out for the proverbial happy ending. Maybe he should encourage her to cut her losses and go to a place where she and Lily could be safe. At least then they could live to fight another day.

  He thought about the very different lifestyle he was accustomed to at the family ranch. Teasing. A lot of trash talk between brothers. The occasional fight that ended in raised fists. But more, there was concern and love and laughter. So much laughter.

  It had been good to hear Ingrid laugh. She deserved to do it more often.

  While he peered out the window, he saw a flash of light as the rusted pickup chugged to life. He could see Nadine clearly outlined in the interior light of the truck as she put it in gear and took off with tires spinning.

  Apparently she hadn’t had her fill of Wayside or its
cowboys yet.

  The crazy woman inside her had won another round over common sense.

  After breakfast, Mick joined Luke, Ingrid, and her little sister in the barn, mucking stalls after turning out a string of horses into a fenced corral. With four sets of hands, the chores were quickly completed.

  Mick looked over at Luke, hanging his pitchfork on a hook along the wall. “How’s the shoulder holding up, son?”

  “Good.” Luke massaged the muscle. “Hardly a twinge now.”

  “You up to lending a hand with the shed?”

  “Sure thing.” Luke turned. “Lead the way.”

  The two crossed a pasture and headed toward a small shed in the distance. Once there, they took down a sagging door. While Mick replaced the rusty hinges, Luke removed his shirt in the hot sun before laying the door across a couple of sawhorses, and he began working a plane across the surface in smooth, even strokes.

  While they worked, Luke brought the old man up to speed on what had happened the night before.

  Ingrid and Lily came riding across the pasture and reined in their mounts.

  Ingrid had to call on all her discipline to tear her gaze from Luke’s muscled, sweaty body. He was, quite simply, beautiful.

  “You two need our help?”

  Mick shook his head. “We’ve got this, girl. You heading up to the herd?”

  “Yeah.” She decided to say no more, afraid to trust her voice over the knot of lust she couldn’t seem to swallow.

  Lily’s voice was almost pleading. “I was hoping you’d be able to come with us, Luke.”

  He winked at her. “If you’ll give me a few minutes, I’ll go along.” He lifted the door and held it in place while Mick tightened the hinges.

  Luke opened and closed the door several times to be certain it was level. Then, snatching up his shirt, he grabbed Turnip’s reins.

  “If you have any more chores, Mick, I can get to them in a couple of hours.”

  “There’s always tomorrow, son.” The old cowboy lifted his Stetson and wiped a sleeve across his brow. “The chores will still be waiting.”

  “Can we race again, Luke?” Lily was already crouching in the saddle, determined to win.