The Rancher's Housekeeper

by Rebecca Winters

  Floral Valley Ranch. Only distance and time would help heal the pain she’d been living through at the thought of never seeing Colt again.

  While she scanned the want-ads, she heard a rap on the door. It was probably the maid bringing her some fresh towels. But when she opened it, she saw a tall man in a black cowboy hat who resembled Colt blocking the entrance. Yet he didn’t look exactly like him because this man had a forbidding countenance and his eyes looked a furious black rather than a piercing hazel. His fists opened and closed at his sides.

  “Colt—” Her hand went to her throat. She took a step back. “H-how did you find me?” Her voice faltered.

  “Process of elimination,” he bit out in a voice she wouldn’t have recognized if she hadn’t watched him say the words. “The man at the dealership in Sundance gave me a description of the car you bought and the license plate number. Lindsey told me you’d come to Laramie and were staying at a family-friendly motel. I figured as much, since you attended four years of college here. So I flew here and rented a car.”

  She shivered, because he would make a terrifying adversary. “You shouldn’t have come. I’m so sorry this has taken you away from the ranch unnecessarily. I told you everything in the letter and have tried to repay you in all the ways I could.”

  “You lied to me, Geena.” His delivery was like a whiplash against her body. He hadn’t heard anything she’d said.

  “I’ve never lied to you—” she cried in defense. “I revere you too much to do that.”

  His mouth twisted cruelly. “What about my phone calls to you? ‘Everything’s fine,’ you said. ‘Don’t worry about anything,’ you insisted.”

  “But it was true!”

  “No—” He almost spat the word. “You broke our contract. I trusted you. Now that trust is gone.”

  By now she was trembling, but she had to remain strong. “We agreed that my job was temporary while we determined if I was a good fit. But bringing Lori into your household changed the situation. You need a housekeeper, not a woman with a baby niece who requires extra attention and care. I became a burden, the last thing you asked for or deserved. Don’t you understand how terrible I felt about doing that to you?”

  His eyes narrowed to slits. “After assuring me on the phone that everything was fine, you left without saying one word to me,” he accused her. “That’s called a sin of omission. The worst kind.” His voice grated with menace.

  He wheeled around and headed for his rental car. She heard the tires squeal all the way out of the motel parking area.

  She bit her teeth into the index finger of her hand.

  Colt—what have I done?

  This had to do with Cheryl, but she’d thought he and his ex-wife had come to an agreement before they’d divorced. He’d played it down when he’d told Geena about their problems and separation. But the white-faced rancher who’d just laid her out on the pavement had a lot more going on inside him than he’d allowed her to see until now.

  Colt was in agony. Both Alice and Lindsey had seen that he’d been so affected by it, they’d told him the truth even though Geena had sworn them to secrecy. But she understood why because she was terrified by the change in him.

  There was only one thing to do about it, and that was to go back and make him tell her exactly what was wrong.

  To her relief, Lori had been a great little traveler on the way here. Geena had to hope her darling niece could handle the trip home. It would be a long drive. They probably wouldn’t get to the ranch before late in the day, but it didn’t matter. She needed to talk to Colt tonight!

  Quick as she could, she packed them up and checked out at the motel office. Once on the road she headed north. Maybe Lori sensed something important was going on because she was an angel throughout the return trip. By the time they reached the ranch house, Geena was a complete wreck because she feared she wouldn’t find Colt there. When she saw his truck, she practically passed out in relief.

  But once she grabbed Lori and ran inside, he was nowhere to be found. The place was quiet as a tomb. She hurried back to her car with Lori and drove to Travis’s house. He answered her knock and looked shocked to see her standing there with Lori in her arms.

  “I thought you were in Laramie.”

  Lindsey joined him, equally surprised to find her at their door. “Geena?”

  “I came home to talk to Colt, but he’s not in the house. Do you know where he is?”

  Travis eyed her speculatively. “I do, but—”

  “I have to find him—” she broke in, cutting him off.

  One brow lifted. “How badly?”

  They weren’t brothers for nothing. He knew his big brother was hurting. Right then her love for Travis grew in leaps. “It’s a matter of life and death to me.”

  He stared at her. “Life and death, huh?”

  “Yes. We’ve had a terrible misunderstanding. I—I’m in love with him.”

  His eyes flickered. “If you’d said anything else…” He gave her a hug. “After he flew back from Laramie, I heard him tell Hank he was headed for the sheepherder’s shelter in the high meadow and he didn’t care what in the devil happened while he was away. No one was to know where he’d gone or when he’d be back. You’ll have to get there on horseback.”

  “I know. When we went riding, he pointed it out to me. Do you think if I called Alice, she’d tend Lori for me tonight?”

  “Why do that when you’ve got me?” Lindsey questioned. Geena could hardly believe what she’d just heard. “I can take care of her tonight. Abby often sleeps in her carrycot. We’ll put Lori in the crib.”

  “You’d do that for me?”

  “After the way you’ve been waiting on me, it’s my chance to pay you back.” She reached for Lori. “We’ll take good care of her till you get back.”

  “You’re terrific.” She hugged Lindsey and gave the baby a kiss. “I’ve got plenty of ready-made formula and diapers in the car.”

  “I’ll get everything. Travis, honey? Will you saddle Carrot Top for her? There’s enough daylight left for her to make it without problem.”

  “Sure I will. Come on. Let’s get you on your way. I’ve only seen Colt bad one other time, but it was nothing compared to today. I hardly recognized him as my own flesh and blood.”

  Geena could top that. She didn’t know the fierce stranger who’d left the motel in such turmoil.

  “Thank you both for this.”

  Lindsey put an arm around her. In a whisper she said, “Colt can be scary when he’s upset, but since you survived prison, I’m backing you.”

  Geena hugged her hard before hurrying after Travis.

  * * *

  “What in the hell are you making all that racket for, Titus? You’ve sniffed mountain lions and coyotes before.”

  Colt was trying to get the lantern to work. If it was broken, then he’d have no light until morning, but it didn’t matter. The shelter was nothing more than a lean-to for when a hand got stranded in a blizzard. You could barely turn around in it.

  He couldn’t remember the last time the furnishings had been replaced, but that didn’t matter either. Colt liked it this way. The tiny camp stove still worked and there was a pan to fry fish. What more could a man want with a mountain stream full of trout at his door?

  All he required at the moment was the cot. One of these days it was going to collapse, but he’d worry about that when it happened.

  By now Titus was at the door, yelping and scratching his paws against the wood in desperation. Colt knew he didn’t need to go out any more tonight. “What in blazes has gotten into you?” He put the lantern on the floor and walked over to him. That’s when he heard the neigh from more than one horse.

  Anger consumed him that someone had ridden all the way up here. Unless an emergency had happened to his mo
ther, he’d warned Travis to keep everyone away! Without taking care, he flung the door open. In the process the top hinge gave way so the door hung on a slant, but by now he was distracted because he’d seen someone dismounting the other horse.

  Carrot Top?

  Titus took off. Colt let him go because all of a sudden Geena came striding toward him, sending every thought flying. She was dressed in her designer jeans and cowboy boots. Outlining her beautiful body was the white Western shirt she’d bought in Sundance. The night breeze fluttered the ends of her hair and carried her fragrance. It almost knocked him over with recent memories of holding her in his arms while he buried his face in her dark brown mane.

  He swallowed hard, thinking this might be a hallucination. “What are you doing here?”

  “What do you think?”

  This was the same female who’d faced him in the kitchen on that first night, but there were differences. This woman was the finished version. Complete. Full of confidence.

  “How did you get here so fast?”

  “I drove over the speed limit, just like you do.”

  Colt couldn’t fathom it. “But that means you and Lori would’ve had to leave Laramie right after I did—”

  “Yup. My niece is a fantastic traveler.”

  “Where is she?”

  “Lindsey’s tending her overnight.”

  His heart raced. He was too astounded to see Geena standing in front of him to question anything else. She’d come all the way on horseback and now darkness was falling over the mountainside. “You shouldn’t have made the trip.”

  She put her hands on womanly hips, defeating him with her feminine charm. “Then I’ve come in vain?”

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “You called me a liar. I was called that once before and spent thirteen months confined before the truth was uncovered. I’m not about to spend one more night in pain for something I didn’t do. Not when I’ve been accused by a man I admire more than any man in existence. So explain to me what you meant.”

  Colt couldn’t take much more of this. “Let’s just say you’re not the person I thought you were.”

  “That’s interesting. What kind of a person am I? I tried to do my best as your housekeeper. When I got the money the state gave me, I was able to pay you back. Of course there’s no way to recompense you for your kindness, but I returned everything I could. As I told you in the letter, Alice only agreed to pinch hit. I hoped you wouldn’t disapprove and thought she was a good choice for a replacem—”

  “Why did you leave without discussing it with me first?” he broke in without apology.

  Geena took a step closer to him. “Because I was afraid that generous streak in your nature would prompt you to ask me to stay on longer.”

  “Would that be such a terrible penance?”

  “Yes.”

  He bit down so hard he came close to slicing his tongue off. “I should have realized that after prison, the isolation of the ranch would be too much for you, too.”

  “You mean like it was for Cheryl? Come on, Colt. You don’t really put me in the same category with her. What else did she do to you I don’t know about? It’s truth time.”

  “She lied from the moment we met.”

  “How?”

  “By telling me she wanted to be a rancher’s wife. I bought it and ended up paying for it.”

  “She didn’t lie, Colt. She loved you and wanted you. I have no doubt she intended to be the wife of your dreams, but she found out it was a lifestyle she couldn’t handle. She was a city girl, and deep down you knew it!”

  He couldn’t fight her logic.

  “I, on the other hand, can’t get enough of the ranch or the owner. Didn’t you listen to a word I said the other night? I told you I thought the Sundance Kid was a fool not to have settled down right here.”

  Colt shook his head, afraid to believe her. “I never asked you to leave, Geena. I didn’t want that damned contract in the first place.”

  Her breath was coming faster. He could hear it. “So what are you saying? That you want me to stay on as your permanent housekeeper and keep Lori with me until I’ve died of old age? That’s what you told the sister at the convent.”

  “I said that so she wouldn’t give you any grief about taking Lori home with us that day.”

  “Even though your ploy worked, you didn’t mean any of it, did you?”

  “You know damn well I did.”

  “You swear too much, do you know that?”

  “Geena—”

  “Well, as grateful as I am to you for everything, I’m sorry, because the answer is still no.”

  “That’s what I thought. So why in the hell did you come back?”

  “You really don’t get it, do you?” she said in an emotional voice.

  “Get what?” He’d had as much as he could take.

  “Ooh— Sometimes you build those walls so high around you, nobody can climb over them. I’ll say this once.

  “I love everything and everyone on the Floral

  Valley Ranch. Everyone! Did you hear that? I mean you, Colt Brannigan. I’m madly, desperately in love with you! Don’t you see that being your housekeeper would only be half a loaf? I want the whole thing with a wedding ring, nights under the stars like this, babies, grandchildren.

  “You’ll probably think I’m crazy, but from the moment I saw your ad in the paper, it seemed to have special meaning for me. But I’m afraid your heart died with Cheryl. If you think I’m going to stay around here for any other reason, then you don’t know me at all. If I did that, then my heart would die, too, so I’m not going to let that happen.

  “I want love in my life. I found out in prison that I need it. If it can’t be you, then I have to believe there’s someone else out there for me and Lori. I refuse to let my heart turn into a dried-up prune like yours.”

  Before he could think, she turned and dashed toward her horse, but Colt was faster and caught her in his arms before she could put her foot in the stirrup. “Feel this.” He grasped her hand and pressed it against his heart. “Now tell me it’s dried up.”

  “Colt—”

  “I’ve been in love with you from the beginning, Geena. You know I have.”

  “I wanted to believe it.”

  “Then believe this.” He molded her to his body and kissed that mouth he craved. “For weeks I’ve wanted to tell you, but I thought I’d give you more time to adapt to the ranch so you’d never want to leave.”

  “I always dreamed of living on a ranch. I’m a South Dakota girl. Don’t you know it almost killed me to leave you?” she admitted, finding every part of his face and throat to devour. They clung with a ferocity that told him this time was forever for both of them.

  “I want you for my wife. The family—everyone—adores you. I should have asked you to marry me when we brought Lori home. I’ve wasted too much time. I want us both to adopt her so we can be her legal parents. I’m crazy about her, too.” He kissed her long and thoroughly. “Forgive me for today.”

  “If you’ll forgive me for leaving without telling you. I never meant to hurt you, Colt. You’re my very life. I poured out my heart to you in that letter.”

  “I know. I felt it and was humbled by the words. Marry me soon, Geena. We don’t have time to waste.”

  She flashed him a seducing half smile. “I agree. Let’s go somewhere private and discuss it.”

  “I’d invite you in, but this lean-to is ready to cave at any second. While you ride on Digger with me, we’ll discuss wedding plans until we reach the house. But after we arrive, there’ll be no more talk. I love you, Geena. When I got home and found you gone…well, you don’t want to know what it did to me.”

  “Oh darling—don’t ever stop loving me,” she begged. “No quarter
asked, remember?”

  “None given, my love. That’s a promise.”

  EPILOGUE

  “AND so, by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife. What God has joined together, let no man put asunder.”

  In the next breath Colt kissed Geena with such hunger, she was blushing by the time she heard the pastor clear his throat.

  “Darling—”

  “I heard him,” Colt murmured against her lips, “but I have the right to kiss my new wife for as long as I want in my own house. I swear I’ll love you forever, Geena.”

  “You think I don’t love you the same way?” she cried softly, out of breath.

  His brothers surrounded them. “Time to break this up, bro, so we can kiss the bride.” There was laughter from the guests as Hank and Travis welcomed her into the family. Pretty soon everyone gathered round and Geena had never been so happy in her life. Pictures were taken.

  The ranch house, decorated with fall flowers for the three o’clock ceremony, was filled with at least a hundred friends that included the ranch hands, staff and relatives. Everyone milled around eating the delicious food, laughing and talking.

  Geena had invited Kellie, who’d struck up a conversation with Mandy over in the corner. Colt’s mother sat near the fireplace with Ina. She looked stunning in an off-white lace suit Geena had picked out for her. Geena wore a white chiffon-and-lace dress that fell to the knee.

  Lindsey wore a soft blue suit and took over tending Lori in the stroller while her baby was upstairs in bed asleep. Their two little girls would grow up together. Nothing could have thrilled Geena more. The fact that Hank had invited Mandy to the ceremony gave Geena hope there might be another wedding one day soon.

  Lieutenant Crowther was the last to come up and congratulate Geena. His eyes looked suspiciously bright. “This is the kind of ending you wish for every person who’s ever been wrongfully accused.”