Rocky Mountain Haven: Six Pack Ranch, Book 2

by Vivian Arend

  She stepped out, the fresh snow and her drunken footing making her weave to the apartment door. He forced himself to wait until she’d disappeared from sight, because if he’d left before he knew she was safely inside and she froze to death, he’d find it hard to feel remorse.

  A part inside him had gone colder than the temperature outside. It was stupid the way his brain leapt from point to point, connecting lines that maybe shouldn’t be there, but still insistently depressing. All his wonderful plans for the ranch, all his striving to find a better future for his family—doubts racked him. His cousin Matt had done everything he could to make Helen happy, and this was the result?

  On the dashboard clock, the digital display had clicked over to midnight sometime in the past few minutes, and it was as if a knife turned in his heart.

  Happy fucking New Year.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “Go fish.”

  Beth shook her head and pulled over another pile of marking, thankful that for once it wasn’t her having to play the game for the twenty-millionth time.

  Only when the delighted squealing died away for long enough, she got suspicious. She rose from her desk and snuck her head around the corner to find out what her guys were up to.

  Her guys. The words made her smile.

  They were all seated around the table, crayons scattered everywhere. Nathan had his tongue hanging out a little, all his focus and concentration on whatever it was in front of him.

  Robbie spotted her and covered his paper with his arms. “Moo—oom. No peeking.”

  Daniel winked as she held up her hands and retreated around the corner. “Sorry, didn’t mean to pry. I’ll get back to work.”

  “Kitchen is off limits for a while, Beth. I’ve got things under control.” Daniel stepped around the corner. “How much marking you got left?”

  “An hour or so.” Beth looked him up and down in admiration. He was wearing new jeans, the dark colour crisp and sharp. His cotton overshirt was neatly tucked in at the waist, and she wanted to tug it free. Wanted to slip her fingers under the soft fabric of his T-shirt and dip under the waistband to caress the firm ridge of muscle that separated his groin from his thigh.

  She loved that muscle on him.

  “When you’re done, why don’t you sneak upstairs and have a bath. We’ll give you a heads-up for supper.” Daniel grinned as her smile got wider.

  A bath? “Well, aren’t you just spoiling me to pieces?”

  He glanced over his shoulder before stepping all the way to her side and cupping her face for a quick kiss. The warmth of his body crossed the short distance between them, and she had to refrain from rubbing against him like a lovesick cat.

  He pulled back then brushed her lower lip with his thumb. “I think if you look beside your bed there might be something you could use during your spa getaway.”

  The quietly spoken words made her more curious than ever. “Now I’m going to rush my marking and someone out there is going to be eternally grateful that they didn’t get the D minus they deserve.”

  Daniel backed away one step at a time, his gaze never leaving hers, his teasing grin that warmed her inside promising more mischief later.

  The sounds from the kitchen, little-boy whispers loud enough to hear clearly from a room away, kept the grin on her own face firmly in place. Luckily the schoolwork she had to complete wasn’t difficult, because her concentration was shot to hell.

  When she finally tucked her paperwork away and snuck upstairs, the kitchen noises had changed to include banging pots and giggles. Daniel’s occasional deep rumble of laughter reassured her, and she headed into her room to change and discover her surprise.

  There was a red gift bag waiting on the dresser. She held off her curiosity long enough to strip and put on her robe, walk across the landing to the bath and lock herself in. With the water running, she dug into the bag and one-at-a-time pulled out treasures obviously wrapped by her sons. Bath beads, an oversized loofah brush with the head of a surprised giraffe—had to be from Nathan. A bottle of bright blue nail polish. Beth laughed with delight.

  A plethora of Valentine’s love poured out for her. She tossed a bead into the filling tub and eased herself into the water, relaxing back and wondering at how much difference a year had made in her life. The boys were her joy, her reason for getting up every morning. But now there was more to look forward to than just their shining eyes.

  There was Daniel. All the wickedly wonderful ways he made her feel in bed, and the solid caring things she felt outside the bedroom.

  She still had some healing to do, but Daniel seemed determined to take his time and give her space when needed. And crowd her at all the right moments, making sure she didn’t retreat from moving forward.

  Pink-cheeked and relaxed from her bath, she dressed a little fancier than her usual around-the-house getup before making her way downstairs.

  “Is it safe to come down?” Beth paused at the base of the landing, not wanting to ruin their surprise.

  A flurry of voices called out a warning, and she waited for her escort.

  “Don’t peek,” Nathan warned as they guided her to her chair.

  “I wouldn’t dream of it.” Beth sat cautiously as Lance moved her chair into place. “Can I look now?”

  “Look, look, look…” Robbie was still bouncing when she opened her eyes.

  The table was set with a bouquet of flowers in the center, plates arranged around the edges, and over by the stove, Daniel leaned on the counter, all six foot plus of him staring down with contentment on his face. His smile took in the boys as well, and another tendril of warmth uncurled in her belly.

  “I made the soup.” Robbie crawled into his chair, sitting on his knees as usual.

  “Lance got to use the knife but I buttered the bread. You like supper, Mom? You like it?” Nathan carried over a plate covered with grilled cheese sandwiches. She caught the edge before the whole pile slipped to the floor in rush. Beth took a deep breath and hmmed loudly before placing the platter safely on the tabletop.

  “I love it. It’s wonderful.”

  So were the cards on her plate she had to read through and admire before any of them could start on the food.

  Conversation flowed around the table like only little boys could provide, mouths filled with bites of food chewed rapidly so the next story could be told. Laughter filled the air—Lance had received a heart-shaped card from one of his classmates and been teased about it all the way home on the bus. Nathan was clear in how he’d defend his brother the next time anyone tried something stupid like that again.

  Throughout the meal and the cleanup that followed, Beth tried to define what she was feeling. It wasn’t until they were sitting in the living room playing a game of snakes and ladders that it hit her.

  This was the first Valentine’s ever that she’d been given to, instead of doing all the giving.

  She held on to the satisfaction and wonder of the sensation through the game and follow-up reading time. Bringing the evening to a close was tough.

  “I’ve had a marvelous evening, boys, and your presents were perfect. Thank you for the wonderful Valentine’s Day. But the school bus will be here bright and early, so it’s time to say good night to Daniel and hit your pillows.”

  Groans and complaints died off quick enough when it was clear she was serious.

  Robbie crawled beside where Daniel sat on the couch and pulled a slightly tattered piece of paper from behind his back.

  “What ’cha you got there, tiger?” Daniel took it and opened it carefully. A bright smile spread across his face. “Well, I think that’s about the best Valentine I ever did get.”

  “I can’t draw very good.”

  “You drew great.” Daniel pointed to the page. “What they doing there?”

  “The doggies are chasing the deer, like we saw last weekend when you took us on the snowmobile. Can we go again?”

  “Course.”

  “I get to go by myself this
time, right?” Lance paused in the middle of cleaning up the game.

  Daniel looked over at Beth, hesitating before answering. “Not yet. We ain’t got a machine the right size for you to ride solo. You remember I told you that. You’ll have to ride double for a while longer.”

  Lance rolled his eyes and scrambled to his feet, heading for the door.

  “Come back and finish cleaning up, please,” Beth said firmly.

  Her oldest son didn’t say a word, but his pointed glances Daniel’s direction were all about showing his displeasure in being treated like a little kid.

  Daniel ignored him, instead accepting a big kiss on his cheek from Robbie and a hug from Nathan before the two of them raced away, making car noises en route to their bedroom. Lance left as soon as possible afterward, his nose still out of joint.

  Beth held her cup of tea in both hands, rocking as she stared at Daniel.

  “Now don’t you go apologizing for him or anything.” Daniel leaned back and stretched out his legs, ankles crossed easily.

  “I wasn’t going to. I was going to say thank you for respecting my wishes regarding him riding alone. You didn’t have to be the bad guy. You could have said it was my idea.”

  He shrugged. “No use in us both being in his bad books. You’re right, our rides are made for bigger bulk. Unless we get something smaller, it’s not safe. I’d probably have forgotten if you hadn’t reminded me. I’m not all that up on little-people safety, as you could probably tell by my lack of worry back in the fall with the swimming hole.”

  Beth got in a leisurely examination as he spoke, eyeing every mouthwatering bit of him. The muscular bulk of his thighs filled his jeans, his strong forearms bared since he’d rolled up his sleeves during dishes and never put them back down. She could almost feel his hands on her body, imagine him stroking with his fingers and bringing her pleasure.

  “I like that expression you’re wearing, Miss Beth.”

  She dragged her eyes off the cause of her fantasizing. “You’re distracting me.”

  “Distracting is good.”

  Beth smiled harder. “I wanted to say thank you for everything you did tonight. It was very special. The best Valentine’s Day ever for me.”

  If her voice cracked a little on the last word, she thought he could understand.

  “I’m glad. I’m only sorry the day can’t end the way I’d like it to.” Softly spoken, quiet enough the boys couldn’t overhear. Lusty and dark enough to make a shiver race over her skin.

  “You got time to stay until after I tuck them in?” Maybe they couldn’t make love, but sharing and talking—those things were just as important to her soul. Every time they spent together made her more aware of how much she’d grown to care for him. Care about him.

  Daniel rose and pulled her to her feet, bringing her flush to his body and holding her close, his chin resting on the top of her head. “I’ll stay. You take as long as you need, but I’ll be waiting for you here.”

  That was the miracle. That was the real truth—he would be waiting for her. Beth squeezed him tight, not wanting to let go.

  “Mooom. Robbie’s playing with the toothpaste again.”

  Daniel snorted. “God, run, don’t walk. That’s a potential disaster in the making.”

  He released her toward the stairs. She didn’t waste any time because, yeah, the last toothpaste battle was still fresh in her mind. But she did glance over her shoulder before getting out of view.

  The fact Daniel was still watching pleased her more than she could possibly explain.

  Chapter Twenty

  Gabe exited the hardware store and literally bumped into his cousin.

  Daniel caught him by the shoulders, steadying them both. “Hey, you want to bounce, try the trampoline at the rec hall.”

  At that moment, bouncing anything but his fists off a firm surface was the last thing on his mind. Gabe pulled his thoughts away from his lingering exasperation to concentrate fully on Daniel. “I didn’t expect to see you for another couple weeks. How’s calving going?”

  There was a trace of cow shit on Daniel’s boots, dark streaks of mud along the cuffs of his jeans. His eyes were tired but he still managed to look insanely happy. “Typical April chaos. I’m in town for fifteen minutes on a supply run before diving back into the fray. You bastard—taking it easy right now, aren’t you? Your family did the hard labour back in February. You’ve got nothing to do but wait for the fields to thaw before seeding.”

  Waiting. Waiting. That was all Gabe felt he was doing. A sigh escaped before he could stop it. “Yeah, I’m living a life of fucking leisure. I should drop in at the Queen’s for tea.”

  A furrow appeared between Daniel’s eyes. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.”

  Daniel planted a hand on his shoulder and pushed hard enough to make Gabe rock on his feet, moving him out of the path of the front doors. “Bullshit. You’ve been MIA for the past while, and it’s not just that you’re busy. We’re all busy. I still usually see you a few times a month. Spit it out.”

  Gabe wasn’t about to spill the entire story in the middle of the street. “You’re extra busy these days. The Coleman rumor mill says your lady keeps you hopping.”

  The glow of happiness lighting Daniel’s face would have made the twist of jealousy in Gabe’s gut sharper if he wasn’t honestly damn pleased for his cousin.

  “Beth is…” Daniel closed his mouth and shook his head, his grin growing wider by the second.

  “That good, eh?”

  “Better.” Daniel pulled himself from his love-struck musings, turning his focus on Gabe again. “You still didn’t answer me, though. I know something’s happened.”

  Gabe snorted. “Now you’re gonna be a psychiatrist as well as a coach? Isn’t it enough that you’ve changed your life over the past months? Just like you said you would?”

  “The plan, if I recall right, was for both of us to change our lives. What happened with all your ideas? Still working on them?”

  “You could say that.” He’d shared some of his musings with Daniel. It had been nerve racking but positive to bounce ideas off someone else. And now it seemed it was all for nothing.

  Comprehension spread slowly over Daniel’s face. “Uncle Ben causing you grief?”

  It wasn’t the time. It wasn’t the place. Still, hell if Gabe knew when they’d get a chance to talk, and he really wanted to unload, bad. “You know my dad and I don’t see things the same way. He found a bunch of my mail in his mailbox—flyers and shit about the organic stuff I’ve been researching. He took it as an insult and tore a strip off me. ‘The ranch isn’t some goddamn experiment for a bunch of granola-eating hippy freaks.’ I’m to do as I’m told—like some wet-behind-the-ears schoolboy.”

  Daniel leaned back against the concrete side of the building. “Damn shame. It sounded like you were on to something.”

  That was the kicker. “I am on to something. I’m not giving up, just…taking it slower.”

  “But I thought you said—”

  Gabe shook his head. “I’ve gotta step back for a while, it’s true. It’s not worth pushing him and making things worse, not with Rafe still living at home. And Dad is right—it’s officially his land and he is in charge. Doesn’t mean I can’t do my damnedest to get things ready for the time I can buy him out. Or by some miracle, make him see things in a new light.”

  Gabe had spent enough time worrying and poking at the problem to know the ranch had to change. But fighting his father and tearing apart his family more by antagonizing the man was counter to part of what he hoped to accomplish. A thriving ranch and an intact family.

  Didn’t make the regrets less that he had to put his dreams aside just as he felt he was making some progress.

  Daniel’s smile returned, curling his lips and lighting his eyes. “Well, you son of gun. You’re doing it.”

  “Doing what?”

  “Meeting the challenge.” Daniel poked him in the chest.


  Gabe stood there for a moment, wondering what the hell his cousin was talking about. Maybe his brain was still numb from the long winter, because it took the longest time for realization to trickle through as Daniel stared him down, silently waiting for him to put the puzzle pieces together.

  Waiting? Motionless? He’d been choked because his delay in plans felt as if he’d gone back to his old drifting ways. The cold pain he’d felt since New Year’s deadening his senses. But…this wasn’t drifting. It was more like holding back the floodwaters or containing energy in a battery. Storing up the power to release it when it would best be used.

  Another thump shook him from his meditations. He blinked hard and concentrated on Daniel. His familiar face was right there, expectation written all over it.

  “Damn it, you’re right,” Gabe confessed.

  Daniel raised a brow. “And you say that like it’s a total surprise.”

  Gabe snorted. “Bastard.”

  “Nope—you know my parents were married. Asshole? I’ll accept asshole.”

  They exchanged grins and slapped each other on the shoulder before pacing in opposite directions, returning to their own tasks.

  Their challenge wasn’t finished—not for either of them. Daniel, from what he’d seen, was a lot closer to reaching an end. But…that was okay. Moving forward in life wasn’t a race to the finish line.

  Gabe took a deep breath of the springtime air and headed back to his truck with a far lighter heart than he’d had for a long time.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  “You need to get down here right now.” The frantic tone in Beth’s voice came through loud and clear, even through the words were whispered.

  Daniel glanced at his watch. Why was she calling him just past one on a school day? She should be in class right now. “Beth? What’s the matter? Something happen at work? Are the boys okay?”

  She hesitated for a second, and his heart nearly stopped, thinking of all the terrible things that could have happened. “The boys are fine. Jaxi’s in labour and…”