A Rancher's Dangerous Affair

by Jennifer Morey

  “I can’t believe she didn’t tell you what happened.”

  “She’s dealing with a lot right now.” Loving Brandon. Jillian. And now Brandon’s father. “I haven’t exactly been a brother to her lately.” He recalled the last time he’d seen her and felt ashamed.

  Aegina’s soft regard spared him further angst. “You’re different.”

  Was he? How? He was afraid to ask. He couldn’t afford any mistakes with her.

  She eyed the papers in his hand again. “Why did you really come here?”

  It wasn’t to talk about Brandon’s father. “I was going through some old pictures of us when I found these.” He handed the rolled pages to her.

  She took them and flattened them on her thighs. Then she looked at him curiously. “They’re blank.”

  “Exactly. They’re all blank. I never applied to any of those colleges.”

  “But you wanted to.”

  “I wanted you.”

  After a moment of wavering hope and despair, she shook her head. “Ryker, you can’t change the past.”

  “I don’t want to change it. That’s what I came here to tell you. I wanted you from the start, Aegina. From the first conversation. College would have been a challenge for me. I needed challenge. I got that with you and the kids, and I got that with the shop. We’ve made a great life here, honey.”

  “But...you complained all the time about giving it up.”

  “I was a fool. I didn’t understand why college was so important to me. Now I do.”

  The challenge.

  He saw her register that.

  “I love you, Aegina. I always have. I’m sorry for not making you feel like I did. And I promise you’ll never feel that way again if you give us another chance.”

  Fidgeting with her hands, she averted her eyes, facing the street. Then she returned them to him. “What about...”

  “Your affair?”

  She nodded as he sighed. That was a heavy burden.

  “Are you going to keep seeing him?”

  She shook her head. “He left town yesterday.”

  “How do you feel about that?”

  “I...” She faced the street again. “I don’t really care. He had to go because he was offered a job.”

  She didn’t really care, but part of her did care. That didn’t sound good.

  Her hand slid onto his thigh, something she’d always done when they sat together. “I don’t love him.”

  That eased him a bit.

  “And the sex wasn’t all that great.”

  He wasn’t sure he needed to hear this.

  “Not nearly as good as it was with us.”

  Now that was more like it. “It’s hard to beat perfection.”

  That made her smile but only halfheartedly. “He was a placebo, Ryker. I thought you didn’t love me. I needed to feel loved. I didn’t with him. I feel more loved right now than I ever did.”

  The sex had never been about love. He understood that. Many affairs weren’t. Any affair in his marriage couldn’t be about love. Their love was too strong.

  “If you’re willing to try, I am,” she said.

  That was the best news he’d had in a long time. “I do, Aegina. You’re my wife. You’re the only wife I ever want to have. There’s nothing wrong with starting over. In fact, I think that’s what we should do.”

  A smile of deep appreciation slowly spread on her mouth. “Start over.”

  “I’ll take you to dinner for our first date. Are you free tomorrow night?”

  Her smile strengthened. “I’ll ask Mother to watch the kids.”

  Drawn to her, he leaned over and tipped her chin up to kiss her. “I love you.” He kissed her again.

  She kissed him back, and then heat took over, a familiar heat that had gone away for a while, heat that he had missed.

  He moved back, soaking in the softness of her eyes, drugged with passion. “Until tomorrow then.”

  “Until tomorrow,” she whispered back.

  He stood and went down the stairs, turning and walking backward to see her, happier than he’d been in years.

  On their first date, he’d taken her home with him and they’d had amazing sex. He hoped tomorrow would be a repeat of that.

  As he headed for his Charger, he wondered if he’d be able to make love to her knowing another man had been where only he belonged. Then again, the longer he waited, the longer he’d allow that man to destroy his marriage.

  He’d make love to his wife, all right. Tomorrow and every chance he got after that. He’d make love to her until it was just the two of them again.

  For now, he had to concentrate on his sister. He had to warn her about Jillian. He tried calling her, but she didn’t answer.

  He began to worry. What if Jillian acted on her irrational emotions?

  “Ryker!”

  He looked over the top of his car. Aegina was rushing toward him. “The school just called. Evan was in a fight.”

  She climbed into the Charger, and he drove down the street.

  “He’s in the principal’s office.”

  “What happened?”

  “That bully started teasing him again and Evan hit him. Gave him a bloody nose!”

  Ryker grinned and chuckled briefly.

  “You think that’s funny?”

  “I showed him a few self-defense moves.”

  “Ryker Harvey, you didn’t!”

  “Oh, yes, I did.”

  Aegina tried to be mad, but he could tell she wasn’t. She was proud as hell for their boy. So was he.

  “Guess that bully will be leaving him alone now,” Ryker said.

  “Yeah. Guess so.”

  It was another shining example of how much alike they were. They agreed about everything. Ryker just hoped they found new ground to rebuild a new foundation. The one they’d started with was rock-steady. Now...he couldn’t predict where they would end up. All they could do was try.

  Chapter 14

  Eliza received a call from a woman in town who had a Halloween party to plan. She claimed to have gotten her name from the senator’s daughter, which raised a red flag. Brandon was angry with her for agreeing to go. She wasn’t even sure why she had. It was business here in Vengeance. She’d always maintained her ties here. Vengeance was her hometown. But why now? Why agree to work now? For a distraction. David was dead and she couldn’t stop thinking about Brandon.

  Did she hope he’d changed? Dread almost made her tell him to take her back to the ranch. She should not be feeling the way she was for him. Not with David murdered. His brother. Her husband. But they were already here, at the building where the woman had instructed them to meet. The parking lot was empty. The building had foreclosure stickers on the window of the front door.

  “This was a used car lot. Old man Flanders went to live with his daughter in Tucson,” Brandon said.

  He knew about everyone in town. “How did you find that out?”

  “Someone at the market told me.”

  “You sure are chatty around here.”

  It struck her as both odd and charming at the same time. He wasn’t the surly recluse she had him pegged for.

  He opened his truck door. “Are you sure this is it?”

  She checked the address again. “Yes.”

  “Who would want a party here?”

  It was a little run-down. Abandoned. Movement in one of the windows gave Eliza a chill. Someone had peered through the glass from the protection of a wall and then retreated.

  “Maybe you should wait here while I go check it out,” Brandon said.

  “No, I’ll go in with you.”

  She got out of the truck as her cell rang. She checked who it was. Ryker. She answered.

  “Eliza, thank God.” He was breathless with urgency.

  “Ryker? What’s wrong? Are you in trouble again?”

  Brandon came to stand before her, the argument over whether she’d go with him tabled for now.

  “No. Listen, I had
a visit from Jillian. Whatever you do, don’t go near her.”

  “What?” She caught sight of more movement inside the building. A shadow went through an open doorway leading to a back room.

  “She’s insane over Brandon.”

  Eliza pointed to the building and Brandon twisted to look, but the shadow was gone.

  Brandon looked there and then at her in question.

  “Yeah, I know,” she told her brother. “She broke into his house and we caught her making dinner the other night. Imagine our surprise.” She walked with Brandon toward the building. The closer she got the more disrepair she noticed. Weeds had taken over the border and grew in cracks in the parking area.

  “She made you dinner?”

  “Yeah. Spaghetti.”

  “Why?”

  “Why would any crazy woman make the man she’s stalking and his girlfriend dinner?”

  “What happened after you caught her?”

  “Brandon’s ranch hand helped us get rid of her.”

  “Where are you now? Are you alone?”

  “I’m with Brandon.” She stepped onto the cracking sidewalk that led to the entrance.

  “Good.” He sighed his relief. “Stay with him or come to my house where I can watch you, okay?”

  Her brother genuinely cared about her. “I will. Thanks, Ryker.”

  “Hey. Aegina and I have a date tomorrow night.”

  They were patching things up? “That’s great news.”

  “Why don’t you come over in the morning so we can talk?”

  Her brother was ready to talk. Eliza was thrilled. “I’ll be there. Tell Mom to make her veggie omelets.”

  “Will do. Did you say you were meeting someone for a possible job?”

  They reached the front door. “Yeah. It was the weirdest thing. A woman called about a Halloween party, and she gave us this address to a foreclosed building.”

  “Huh. That is weird.” He seemed to take time to think. “Be careful.”

  “Stop worrying. I’m with Brandon, remember?” When she reached for the door handle, Brandon stopped her, removed a gun from the waist of his jeans and looked around for anyone who might see them. There was no one other than a passing car.

  “Yeah. That is a comfort. Give me a call later.”

  “I’ll check in.” She disconnected, smiling, feeling like she had a family again but too aware of Brandon’s gun and the creepy building to enjoy it.

  Brandon pushed open the door and entered with his gun drawn. The hardwood floor was dusty. Cobwebs were thickest in the corners of the open showroom, not a large room but big enough for one or two cars. There were no desks or tables, and the light fixtures were broken.

  Eliza stayed behind Brandon as he moved to the back room. “I think the woman went back there. Maybe she saw you and left.” Maybe Jillian had hoped Eliza would come alone.

  The creak of a door sounded from the back. Brandon pushed through the door and they entered what once had been an auto repair shop. One of two overhead garage doors was open. A breeze flowed inside. Whoever had been here was gone.

  Brandon went outside. Overgrown shrubs and grass and weeds swallowed the fence bordering the property.

  A car engine started. She looked with Brandon and caught a glimpse of a tan car backing up to turn around near the end of the building. Half the car was visible beyond the swaying branches of a large lilac bush.

  “Wait!” Brandon ran, waving at the person driving as he passed the shrubbery.

  Eliza ran after him. When she reached the lilac bush, she stopped, close to the car but out of sight.

  Through the branches of the bush, Eliza saw Jillian behind the wheel of the car, face wet from crying. She had braked the car to a halt as Brandon approached. Eliza held back.

  Brandon bent to the open window, hand on the frame. “What are you doing here, Jillian?”

  “She was supposed to come alone.” Eliza heard her wail, an eerie sound in the breeze.

  “What are you doing here?” he repeated.

  “I...” She sniffled and struggled to regain her composure. “I was going to plan a party.”

  “Here?” Brandon straightened and looked toward the building, seeing Eliza by the bush.

  Jillian glanced at the side of the building with him, dazed now that her crying had ended, lethargic. Eliza had a feeling that if she approached the car, she would stop talking to Brandon. She had a connection to him in some sort of way, some bizarre way that no one other than she understood.

  “Jillian?”

  His voice brought her head turning back to him, pitiful eyes meeting his.

  “What is it about me?” she asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Why can’t you love me? Why can’t anyone love me?”

  “You’ll find someone. You can’t force it, though.”

  Jillian shook her head rigorously back and forth. “There’s no one. No one will ever love me.”

  Brandon didn’t respond. Really, what could he say? Eliza almost felt sorry for the woman. She was so insecure that it had driven her mad.

  “What is it about me?” she repeated.

  Again, Brandon didn’t reply. Jillian had emotional problems that needed to be addressed. She hadn’t done anything violent yet, but maybe she’d reach a threshold and break. She was broken now, but she hadn’t tried to kill anyone.

  Or would she have tried if Eliza had arrived alone?

  “I thought you were different,” she said, off in her own world. “You were like me.”

  “Like you?”

  As in crazy? Eliza marveled over that one.

  “You know how it feels to be raised in a strict house, by strict parents. And your mother died.”

  “Jillian, what are you talking about?”

  Now suddenly flustered, Jillian shook her head. “I should go.”

  “Wait. What are you talking about?” Brandon pressed, putting his hand on the frame of the car window again.

  His nearness seemed to relax Jillian, as though she clung to every stolen moment she could be close to him. Sad and disturbing.

  “Your dad, of course.”

  “What about him?”

  “We have that in common. Your dad and mine.”

  Her voice came in patches with a gust of wind, making it difficult for Eliza to hear.

  Jillian slid her hands up the wheel and gripped it at the top, facing forward, lost in her topsy-turvy world. “I dreaded walking home from school every day. I’d take my time and go the longest route. At first my dad would punish me for being late. Then he got used to me getting home late all the time. I always hoped by the time I got there, he’d be too drunk to...”

  Her face was a window into the past, all the pain and suffering gathering into a frown of desensitized horror. She’d lived through hell, and hell wasn’t such a scary place anymore. It was the place where Jillian dwelled most of the time.

  Eliza stepped forward, feeling pity she couldn’t grasp. She stopped when Jillian looked up at Brandon. “I could tell you were living the same life as me. Different punishments, but the same.”

  Different punishments...

  Had she been sexually abused by her father? Brandon had been beaten. Jillian had been molested.

  Eliza’s stomach soured.

  “How could you tell?”

  Again, Jillian elapsed into history. “Your face.”

  “That was a long time ago. Things have changed now.”

  “No, they haven’t.” Jillian looked up at him. “You and I are the same. Why can’t you see that?”

  “We aren’t the same. I got past what my father did.”

  That wasn’t entirely true.

  “You can’t erase the past, Brandon. You need me. We’re the same.”

  “Maybe you should go talk to someone. You and I are not the same, and I am not interested in you the way you want me to be. It’s time you accepted that.”

  “You mean I need a psychiatrist?” Jillian scoffe
d. She wiped her face angrily, mood shifting trigger fast. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you? You can have any woman you please. You don’t stop and think about the consequences of your carelessness. You think you can engage and disengage whenever you have the whim. You didn’t stop to think about how it would affect me.”

  “Jillian, we hadn’t been seeing each other long. We never even had sex.”

  “That’s what made me think you were special. You didn’t rush. And your father was...”

  “My father is a dangerous man.”

  “Yes. Dangerous. You and I belong together, Brandon.” She turned and looked at Eliza, who was no longer hidden by the shrub. “You’re just confused right now.”

  “I’m not confused, Jillian. You have to stop this. There is no future for us and never will be.”

  Jillian remained silent for a while, looking up at him, not accepting what he said.

  She put the car in Reverse. “You’ll see.” Driving in reverse slowly, she forced Brandon to step away from the car.

  Eliza moved to stand beside him as Jillian backed out onto the street and then drove out of sight.

  That’s when it struck her. “She’s driving a tan car.”

  Brandon turned to her. “Is it the same model?”

  Eliza wasn’t sure. “It could be.”

  He thought a moment. “Jillian was with me when you and David saw the one at the ranch.”

  So it was impossible that Jillian had been driving the same car. “I sure hope she leaves us alone now.”

  “That makes two of us.” He started toward the road where his truck was parked. “Come on. Let’s go grab some dinner.”

  * * *

  Walking with Brandon down the street toward their burger place, they heard Irish music drift out of O’Neil’s. People spilled out onto the small enclosed patio; the two tables were full. Laughter and conversation blended into unified jollity.

  “Looks like Roger is having another celebration.”

  “Someone else you know in town?” She supposed that shouldn’t be so amazing to her. Vengeance wasn’t a big city. Still, she wasn’t ready to let go of her fifteen-year perception of him. It kept her safe, after all, believing he was too isolated to keep up with her social pace.

  They drew closer, and a few people turned their way.

  “Brandon,” a round-bellied man with a bald head greeted from among the crowd.