Wild Mustang

by Jane Toombs

  “But will you at least try? Please. It’d mean so much to Bill. He really wants to be a father to Sage as well as our baby.”

  “The best I think you might hope for would be supervised visits,” Laura said, feeling caught in the middle.

  “That would be fine. Anything.”

  Laura sighed. “I’ll try, but…” She let her words trail off.

  “Oh, thank you, thank you. I’m sure it’s some consolation to Bill to have met the woman who’s taking care of Sage—we both could tell you’re a good person. I really appreciate you listening to me. I’ll let you go now.”

  Laura hung up the phone feeling depressed. She understood how Shane felt and couldn’t blame him. Yet she also understood how the Jennings felt and, to her mind, they had a point. How could she possibly approach Shane about the matter, though?

  Certainly not today!

  She could imagine Shane in his workshop hacking away, taking his anger out on a piece of wood. What would it be—a snarling bear?

  Restlessness drove her to change to riding clothes and go to the corral where she saddled Colly. Not caring to risk getting lost, she rode in the direction of the creek, landmarked for her by the line of cottonwoods.

  She breathed deeply, enjoying the clean, warm air, tinged by the scent of sage cast up as the horse trotted among the bushes. An appreciation of this high desert country had crept into her blood—how she’d hate to leave here. The Paiute story Grandfather had told her lurked in the back of her mind, but she fought thinking about it. What did ghosts have to do with her?

  Intent on her own thoughts, she was startled into awareness when a herd of mustangs burst from the cottonwoods and raced across her path. The bachelor herd, she realized, counting them. All five were there and, from the pace they were traveling, all in pretty good condition.

  She halted the mare and watched until the mustangs vanished over a rise. Their grace and beauty touched a hidden place in her heart. Never in her life had she felt wild and free….

  Sighing, she turned the mare and headed back to the house. To Sage, who needed her. To Shane, who said he needed her—but did he really?

  Chapter Thirteen

  As Laura was rubbing the mare down after unsaddling her, Shane came into the corral.

  “I saw the bachelor herd,” she told him excitedly. “Not too far from here. With luck maybe I can get a close view tomorrow.”

  “We.”

  She gave him an uneasy glance, put off by his curtness. “That’s what I meant.”

  “You shouldn’t have allowed Jennings anywhere near Sage,” he told her.

  Laura straightened and glared at him. “He wasn’t drunk, he had his wife with him, they’d come to bring Sage a present—what harm was there in it?”

  “I just don’t want the man anywhere near her.”

  “Sage handled herself very well.”

  “She shouldn’t have to be upset by him.”

  Putting her hands on her hips, she said, “The man, as you call him, is her father and she knows he is. Isn’t it better for her to realize he isn’t the monster she’s imagined him to be?”

  “He’s a no-good bast—”

  “Don’t call him names. Whatever he was like when he drank, he’s doing his best to change. Doesn’t everyone deserve a second chance?”

  “Not him.”

  Though Laura had told herself she wasn’t going to be provoked into losing her temper, it slipped from her control. “And will the hate you feel for her father make you deny Sage the chance to ever meet the boy who’ll be her half brother?”

  Shane stared at her, speechless for a moment. He’d noticed the woman with Jennings was pregnant, but he hadn’t taken the thought beyond that.

  “Just how chummy did you get with them?” he snapped. “Next you’ll be telling me the kid’s name.”

  “Joel William. He’s going to be a Halloween baby. I happen to believe it’s important to be civil to people unless they give me reason not to be. Both the Jennings were perfectly polite. And they did call ahead and ask for you or Grandfather.”

  “So you took it on yourself to invite them to come to my house while I was gone.”

  “I did no such thing! And if I had, isn’t it my house, too?”

  He tried to curb his rage, aware he was getting out of line and was getting her all riled up. “Look, just keep him away from Sage, that’s all I ask.”

  He watched Laura take a deep breath and let it out. “He’s her father. I agree Sage needs to stay here with you, she wants to and it’s the best thing for her. That’s why I married you, in case you’ve forgotten. I want you to tell me what would it hurt to let the Jennings bring the new baby here once in a while so she can get to know him. She has that right—he’ll be her half brother, after all. And I think her mind would be relieved to discover her father isn’t as bad as she and you both think. Maybe she’ll never learn to love him, but—”

  He slashed his hand through the air, all control gone. “Enough! I’ll never let that man bring his kid anywhere near Sage. I’m the only damn half brother she’ll ever have.”

  “But—”

  “Not another word. A lot you know about it. What right have you to butt into what’s none of your business?”

  She flinched as though he’d struck her. “If that’s how you feel, it’s just as well I’m leaving.”

  A muffled sob made them both whirl. Sage stood just outside the corral. How long had she been there? How much had she heard? His anger draining away, Shane started toward her. Sage turned and ran.

  Laura threw the horse cloth at him, crying, “Take care of the mare,” as she dashed after Sage.

  When he finished with the mare, he went in search of Grandfather, deciding it was best to let both Laura and Sage cool off. He found him standing outside the back door.

  “Something’s wrong with the young one,” Grandfather said.

  “She overheard Laura and me quarreling.” Shane wiped a hand over his face. “Lost my temper.”

  Grandfather shook his head. “Why didn’t you stay in the workroom?”

  “I heard Laura come back from riding.”

  “Bad choice to talk to her before your mind quieted. It’s never good to risk undoing what’s slowly coming to be. A quiet mind is worth all the world’s riches.”

  “I know.” He gave Grandfather a rueful smile. “I haven’t quite latched on to how to quiet mine.”

  Laura appeared in the doorway. “Is Sage out here somewhere?” she asked. “I can’t find her anywhere in the house.”

  “Probably in the barn with Star,” Shane said.

  Laura frowned. “Should we let her be alone with the colt for awhile?”

  Shane nodded and Laura retreated back into the house.

  “I’d best let her be alone for awhile, too,” he said to Grandfather.

  “What triggered the fight?” Grandfather asked. “Your pigheadedness?”

  “She has some harebrained idea that Sage should be allowed to get to know the coming baby.”

  “Yeah, it’s always annoying to be wrong.”

  Shane was so sure Grandfather would agree with him that it took him a moment to realize the old man was in tune with Laura instead.

  Grandfather shrugged. “Seems to me you’re carrying around your own burden basket full of past ghosts.”

  “But Jennings is a—”

  “He was, yes. But Connie looks like a good woman and the man was stone sober, something I never before knew him to be. When we get older, some of us change for the better. He could have. Are you God to say Sage should never be allowed to know her father? Or her other half brother?”

  Shane clenched his fists, whirled on his heel and stalked away from the house toward the corral. He’d saddle Cloud and ride off until he could think straight. He hadn’t quarreled with Grandfather in years, and he wasn’t going to start now.

  When he went into the tack room inside the barn to get his saddle, he glanced over at the colt’s pen. St
opping, he scanned the pen. Star was there, but he didn’t see Sage. He crossed to the pen and the little horse crowded against the bars, looking for company. Sage was nowhere in sight.

  Was she hiding from him? Pained by the thought, he was about to turn back to the tack room when it hit him that maybe she wasn’t in the barn at all. He began a search, calling her name. After he’d poked into all the possible hiding places and didn’t find her, Shane began to worry. If she wasn’t in the barn, where was she? Her horse wasn’t missing and her saddle was in the tack room, so she hadn’t ridden off.

  He checked his workroom. Not there. Nor was she in any of the other outbuildings. He strode toward the house, telling himself not to worry, she’d be there, probably shut in her room.

  He entered through the back door, calling her name. Laura came from the direction of the living room. “Sage isn’t in the house,” she said.

  “Did you check her room?”

  She gave him an exasperated look. “Of course. I even searched it. Isn’t she with Star?”

  He shook his head.

  “But where would she go?” Laura asked, alarm lacing her voice.

  “I wish I knew.”

  Grandfather appeared. “Missing, is she?”

  “Looks that way.” Shane kept his voice calm with an effort.

  “She wouldn’t start off for Donna’s house would she?” Laura asked. “That’s a couple of miles away. I could get in the car and go looking for her.”

  Shane didn’t know what to tell her.

  “Sage is hiding,” Grandfather said.

  “I’ve checked all the outbuildings,” Shane said.

  “Then she’s run off to her secret place,” Grandfather told them.

  “Where in hell is that?” Shane wanted to know.

  Grandfather looked him in the eye. “She thinks no one knows. So I’ll go alone. She won’t be ready to see either of you. From what Laura told me, if Sage overheard much of your quarrel, she has good reason not to want to have anything to do right now with her unreasonable brother. Or Laura, who’s leaving her.”

  Shane glanced at Laura, seeing the same pain in her eyes as he felt. “Okay,” he told Grandfather gruffly. “Go find Sage.”

  After the old man left the house, Shane was tempted to retreat to his workshop, but another look at Laura’s strained face stopped him. He’d be leaving her alone to brood. “I guess I sounded off pretty strong,” he muttered, finding it hard to apologize.

  “I guess you did,” she told him.

  Which left them right where they’d started.

  She walked past him and into the living room. He followed, watching her sit on the couch, curling her feet up under her. Bare feet, he noticed. And she no longer wore her riding clothes—she’d changed into shorts. With an effort he kept his gaze from her legs.

  Too restless to sit, he began pacing back and forth.

  “Are you sure Grandfather will find Sage?” she asked.

  He tossed her a nod, then said, “You think I was out of line?”

  “Didn’t I already say so?”

  “Grandfather warned me not to play God.”

  “A wise man.”

  Shane stopped pacing to stand in front of her. “I just don’t like or trust Jennings.”

  “Must you loom over me?” she asked tartly. “Sit down so we can discuss this without me feeling like you’re about to pounce.”

  Shane eased down beside her.

  “I never said you had to like the man,” she told him. “But I fail to see what harm could come to Sage from occasional supervised visits from the Jennings, especially if it was here on the ranch where she feels at home. At the same time, it would give you the chance to size him up and make sure he was staying sober.”

  He stilled his automatic protest and forced himself to consider her words, which, damn it, were reasonable enough. At this point an idea struck him. “How about a bargain?”

  “What bargain?” Her voice was wary.

  “If you agree to finish checking out the other Nevada herds before you go on to the next state, then I’ll agree to consider supervised visits here for the Jennings.”

  “Wait a sec. I have to agree to do it while you just have to agree to consider doing it. Unfair.”

  His lips twitched into a half-smile. “I never get to put anything over on you. That’s unfair, too.”

  She shook her head. “We both plain agree or nada.”

  “You drive a hard bargain.” No way was he going to tell her what a relief it was to come down off his hard-nosed stand. He’d thought of himself as a reasonable man, one to consider all angles—but he’d certainly been proven wrong today. He didn’t much like the picture he’d presented.

  “We’ll try to explain to Sage,” she said. “Do you think she’ll be willing to listen?”

  He shrugged. “We’ll do our best.”

  “She not only loves you, she admires you,” Laura told him.

  “Not much to admire in what she heard today,” he admitted.

  “I said a few things I regret,” she said ruefully.

  He grinned at her, suddenly feeling lighthearted. “A couple of soreheads sniping at each other.”

  “Well, maybe.”

  “I can see you’re all set to tell me it was my fault.”

  She shook her head, her lips twitching in an obviously repressed smile. “Never.”

  “Kiss and make up?”

  “I’ll go as far as a handshake.”

  He reached for her hand, holding it between both of his, feeling the ring she wore on her fourth finger. His ring. His wife. He wondered if she ever really would be.

  Laura closed her eyes briefly, gathering her defenses, determined not to show him how much his slightest touch affected her. His fingers caressed hers, easing over her wedding ring, the ring that supposedly bound her to him. She swallowed, realizing how much she wanted to keep that ring on her hand.

  “The hell with holding hands,” he muttered, reaching for her and pulling her into his arms. For a moment before his mouth covered hers, she gazed into his dark, dark eyes, seeing a glow in them that made her catch her breath.

  And then she was lost in the kiss that joined more than their lips. He held her heart to heart, making her fancy the two hearts beating as one, making them a part of each other.

  She had no idea how much time passed before Grandfather’s voice brought her out of her bemused state.

  “See,” he said, “I told you they’d make up and everything would be all right.”

  She and Shane broke apart hastily. Laura, seeing a wide-eyed Sage standing in the curve of Grandfather’s arm, sprang up from the couch.

  “I’m so sorry I upset you,” she told the girl.

  “You’re going to leave,” Sage muttered, leaning against Grandfather.

  “I postponed my trip to Montana.”

  “And I’m not the total bad guy I sounded like,” Shane put in. “Jennings and I are going to arrange for his family to come to the ranch once in a while so you can get to know the baby.”

  Sage eyed him dubiously. “Honest?”

  “You do want to meet your other half brother, don’t you?”

  She nodded hesitantly.

  “I didn’t mean to make you feel bad,” he said. “Are you ready to give me a hug?”

  Sage burst into tears and flew into Shane’s arms.

  When she finally got to the sniffling stage, Shane led her to the couch and motioned to Laura to sit down again, Sage sandwiched between them.

  “You scared us,” he told his sister. Looking at Grandfather, he said, “Are you going to let us know where you found her?”

  The old man shook his head. “That’s a secret between Sage and me.”

  Shane shook his head. “Figures.”

  Sage stared up at Laura. “You’re not going to Montana?”

  “Not for a while. I need to take a look at the other Nevada mustang herds first.”

  “But you’re still going to leave
sometime?”

  Before Laura could speak, Shane said, “Laura and I have some things to discuss first, okay? By the way, did the colt get fed?”

  Sage jumped up. “Poor Star!” she cried. “He’ll think I don’t love him anymore.”

  After she dashed from the room, Grandfather said to Shane, “Disposed of some of your ghosts, I see. About time.”

  Laura glanced from one to the other, not quite understanding. Ghosts?

  “Didn’t even need a fire,” Shane said. Apparently seeing Laura’s puzzlement, he added, “It comes from a story about Lonely-She-Walks.”

  “Grandfather told me that story, but what does it have to do with you?” she asked him.

  “Jennings was my ghost. Not really him, but hating him.”

  “Hate eats at the spirit,” Grandfather said. “Like fear, when there’s no reason to be afraid.” He rose. “I’m going to the barn. Maybe someone around here will come up with an idea for supper pretty soon. I missed my lunch.”

  They’d all missed lunch, Laura realized, and it was nearly five. She’d intended to go grocery shopping today because they were low on supplies. There wasn’t much left in the pantry to chose from. Beans, she decided. Hot dogs and beans and a salad. “Are you up for cooking on the outside grill?” she asked Shane.

  “Providing you make some more cookies—we’re all out.”

  “Always trying to strike a bargain, aren’t you? In the interest of those in danger of starving to death, I suppose I’ll have to agree. But after we eat, we need to get into the truck and head for Reno to stock up for tomorrow—that’s part of the bargain.”

  Driving into Reno with Shane after dinner, Laura said, “What did you mean when you told Sage you and I had things to discuss?”

  “Since we’re not going to discuss them until tomorrow, you’ll find out then.”

  “But I thought we were riding out to find the bachelor herd tomorrow.”

  “We are. How many bachelors did you spot in that herd today?”

  “Five. The same as before. Why?”

  “One of them was a good size, looked older than the others. Bigger anyway. You remember that bay with the white splotches on his flanks? I figure he might be getting ready to make his move.”

  “What move?”