Back in the Rancher's Arms (Trinity River #1)

by Elsie Davis

  Becky looked terrified and took a step back.

  “I saw you with my own eyes,” Kayla said.

  “If you saw us, you should have stuck around for the finale, because there wasn’t one. We kissed, and it was a mistake and we both knew it. For God’s sake, tell her the truth, Becky.”

  “I can’t,” she stammered.

  “You have to,” Dylan thundered. “She needs to know the truth. Whatever it is you think you’re doing needs to stop. Enough people have been hurt by the lie.”

  Tears streamed down Becky’s cheeks. “I’m sorry, Kayla. He’s telling the truth. We didn’t sleep together. Byron isn’t his son. When I confirmed your accusation, I honestly never expected you to think Byron was Dylan’s.”

  “You admitted you were with Dylan down by the swimming hole.”

  Becky took a deep breath. “I was with Dylan, but not in the way you seem to think. We kissed and stopped, just like he said. I felt guilty and came up to tell you what happened. I overheard you talking with your mom on the porch. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you everything,” she said, brushing away her tears. “We had dreams, and you were ready to take off and fly, and I had just found out my dreams had come to a crashing halt.”

  Dylan looked furious. The muscles in his arms flexed as he sought to maintain control.

  “But why did you let me believe you got together with Dylan? I left and never came back because the thought of the two of you together nearly killed me.”

  “I let you think the worst because I overheard you tell your mom you would have stayed in Riverbend with Dylan. You would have given up all your dreams and been stuck in Riverbend forever, just like I was. I wanted you to have your dreams. We were so young.”

  “But it was my life.”

  “I know, and I’m sorry. But you’re living your life. You’re happy, right? It all turned out good, right?”

  “No. Yes. I don’t know.”

  Dylan’s gaze feasted on her. “Repeat that last part,” he asked.

  “You heard me.”

  All these years and everything she’d believed about Dylan and Becky had been wrong. What did it all mean? So much had hinged on a lie. And then there was the baby. She still hadn’t told him about the baby.

  “If Dylan’s not the father, who is?” she asked, finding it hard to switch gears.

  “I can’t say.” Becky tensed. Something was very wrong. Kayla should have known. They’d been best friends. She should have trusted Becky, but instead, she’d failed her.

  “But why? Someone should be helping you with the cost of raising a child. Does the person even know?”

  “He knows all right,” Becky answered bitterly.

  “Why are you protecting the guy?” Dylan asked.

  “I’m not. I’m protecting my son. My family.”

  “What do you mean?” Kayla didn’t understand.

  “Has someone threatened you? Becky, you need to tell someone the truth. We can’t help you if we don’t know what you’re fighting.” Protective big-brother Dylan was emerging, and he would be a force to reckon with if fully unleashed.

  “Please,” Becky whispered, her eyes scanning the parking lot. “I can’t tell you who, so don’t keep asking. I made a mistake. I thought he loved me. Young, stupid, and naive. I love Byron and don’t want trouble. Trust me, it’s best if I never name the father.”

  “But it isn’t right. Tell me so I can deal with the louse.” Dylan wasn’t backing down.

  “Right is having my son with me. This guy could make my family’s life hell, and I could lose Byron. Nothing is worth losing my son.”

  “I understand better than you realize.” Kayla stepped in between the two. “Your secret is safe with me.”

  “This is ridiculous. Surely you two aren’t agreeing to say nothing and let this guy get away with what he’s doing.”

  “We do agree,” Kayla said. “Two against one.” Just like old times. She stepped closer to Becky and enveloped her in a long overdue hug. It had been wrong for Becky to control her future, but Kayla understood she’d done it out of love. That she could forgive.

  “Damn it,” Dylan said, the veins in forehead and neck popped out like a roadmap of rage.

  All these years Becky had been dealing with so much on her own, made Kayla feel worse for leaving her best friend. Becky had done too good of a job driving her away and Kayla’s pain blinded her to any other possibility. She’d make it up to Becky, somehow, some way, she’d make it up to her friend.

  “I wish you’d told me. Maybe we could have fought this together like we did everything else. I wish you had trusted me with the truth.”

  “I do, too, but in the end, everything has worked out. Well, almost,” she said looking back and forth between her and Dylan.

  “Some things aren’t meant to be, I guess. But you’re lucky to have your son. He’s a sweet boy.”

  “Thanks. Maybe you could drop by and spend some time with us, catch up,” Becky asked hopefully. “But right now, I need to go back inside and get Byron before he wears old Mr. Thompson out with questions.”

  “Sure thing. I would love to stop by. And I’m sorry I ran off the other night at the wedding. Maybe someday I’ll explain why.” Thankfully, Becky didn’t question the comment.

  “Sounds good,” she called over her shoulder, waving goodbye.

  “You and I still need to talk,” Dylan said. “I still can’t believe you thought I would sleep with Becky and that I wouldn’t acknowledge my own son.”

  “What would you have thought if you were in my shoes?”

  “I would have cornered you and found out what the hell was going on,” he growled.

  “I was eighteen and inexperienced. And you were the first boy I’d ever kissed.”

  “I wish I’d been the first, the last, and the only,” he said, claiming her mouth in a long overdue kiss.

  And oh, sweet heavens, how the man could kiss. This was what Kayla had wanted from the moment he’d first kissed her all those years ago. Except she’d been here before with Dylan, and her life still wasn’t in Riverbend anymore.

  “You’ll have to settle for first. But I have a question of my own.”

  “Ask away, but understand this, last is still up for discussion,” he said, holding her close.

  “If it wasn’t because of Becky, why did you walk away that day?”

  “Same reason as Becky. To let you have your dreams. I knew you’d stay if I asked, and I didn’t want you to give up everything when I had nothing. The ranch was failing, and I was tied to raising an eight-year-old boy. Not much to offer in exchange for your dreams. I’d always hoped you’d come back.”

  “But I’m not back to stay, Dylan. My life is still in the city.”

  “Life happens, and people change.” It was the same thing her father had said. Five years ago, she would have given up everything for him and stayed, but it was different now. She was different.

  “It’s not that easy. Classes start in two weeks, and for the next year, I’ll be slammed with schoolwork and clinic hours. And even when I’m done, there’s no room for more than one small-animal vet in town.” It was all true, but Doc had said some things that made her think twice about switching her specialty and coming home. But she wasn’t saying a word yet because the thought of moving back to Riverbend terrified her.

  And then there was her secret. The one Dylan would never forgive her for keeping.

  “You can’t leave yet,” he said. “Derek will need help with everything for at least a week. I’m asking you to stay and take care of him. And the dog.”

  “There must be someone else who can help you?”

  “I figure you owe me.”

  “How’s that?” she asked, frowning.

  “It’s your fault he’s laid up. He ran because he thought I was taking away the dog you gave him without asking me. He ran because you left. And he ran because he thought I had a son I was hiding from him that he heard about from you.”

  Yo
u did have a son.

  She had to tell him. “That’s not fair.”

  “Life usually isn’t.” He grinned.

  She did feel guilty, and when he put it that way, she had no choice but to stay. It was all her fault, and the thought of staying at the ranch for a week was more than enticing. Call her crazy, but she wanted to do it. It wouldn’t leave her much time to get ready for school, but she could make it work.

  One week of what it could have been like between them as a family. But she wouldn’t survive if he kept kissing her.

  “Only if you stop kissing me.”

  “I can’t promise you that.”

  “Fine. One week. And then I’m going back to the city and to school.”

  “One week. Maybe a few kisses, and I’ll change your mind about leaving.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  The rooster crowed, alerting Kayla to the morning. A morning that came all too quickly considering the lack of sleep.

  Dylan had been the perfect gentleman, and short of the disappointing peck on the cheek with a curt good night, he’d left her at her bedroom door and disappeared. She wasn’t sure what she wanted, but her vivid imagination had a clue. A very good clue.

  Her parents had watched her load her suitcase into the SUV and wave goodbye as she’d driven off. They weren’t keen on the idea of her staying with Dylan, but it was more due to being old-fashioned than any real objection. They trusted him, and they loved Derek, but her mother had been quick to point out it was a very small town when you crossed moral boundaries.

  But none of that mattered. Dylan was right. It was her fault, and it was the least she could do for him to make up for some of the mistakes she’d made. Not that anything would ever make up for all of them, but it was a start.

  And how could she expect Dylan to forgive her when she hadn’t forgiven herself? Her miscarriage had never been explained but she didn’t need an explanation to understand the pain and heartache she would always bear.

  Kayla wrapped a robe around her pajamas, ran a brush through her hair, and tried to wash away the bleary-eyed look she couldn’t shake. She wondered how hard it would be to convince a thirteen-year-old to take a nap, because Kayla was certain she would need one before long. A note taped to the refrigerator confirmed Dylan had already left the house, giving her the time she needed to adjust. Make yourself at home. How likely was that?

  Seven thirty. Either the hands on the clock moved super slowly, or she was super bored. Derek was still asleep. Patches had been out for a walk and was currently snuggled up in bed with Derek. She’d fixed breakfast for when he woke up, and the dishes were already cleaned and put away.

  In the city, there was always entertainment to be found. Kayla settled on the sofa and picked up the Cattleman Rancher magazine and started to thumb through it. Page after page, she glanced at the advertisement and articles until one caught her interest.

  Organic Beef, the Wave of the Future. One of her undergraduate classes had mentioned hormone-free, antibiotic-free, grass-fed cattle ranching as an up-and-coming trend. Kayla read and reread the in-depth article, an idea formulating in her head. One that would be a win-win situation for Dylan’s ranch and her father’s farm.

  Her father had told her it was none of her business, and she’d let the matter drop, but it was impossible to walk away and not try to help while she was still in town. And if not for her father, she’d butt in for her mother.

  Hours of research made the morning pass quickly as she worked through the details, putting paper and pen to the accounting and every other detail. Patches’s bark echoed down the hall, and Kayla went to check on Derek.

  “Hey, sleepyhead. Want some help getting downstairs? You must be hungry,” she asked, discovering him awake.

  “Sure. I’m hungry. What’s for breakfast?”

  “I made you some special pancakes we can heat up.”

  “Really? It’s been a long time since I’ve had homemade pancakes.” He pushed the covers back and started to get out of bed. “Damn. My foot hurts like hell,” Derek cried out when his foot hit the floor.

  “Hey, no call for bad language. I’m sure it hurts like a son of a gun, or even that it hurts like a two-ton bull stepped on your foot, but I can guarantee it doesn’t hurt like H-E-double hockey sticks, because if it did, you wouldn’t be here.” She grinned to soften the lecture.

  “Sorry, but what? You lost me,” Derek asked in confusion.

  “The only way to know what it feels like down there is to be down there, and since you’re not, you have no idea. And I’m sure you don’t want to find out. And guys shouldn’t talk like that around a lady.”

  “Yes, ma’am. Sorry. But it does hurt like a two-ton bull stepped on it.” He grinned.

  He was a good kid. Nothing wrong with him a little love and guidance wouldn’t fix, and since she was there for another week, it wouldn’t hurt to lavish a little attention on him along with some of the guidance. Not that Dylan had done wrong by him, but a woman’s attention was different. It was…motherly. Something she may never have a chance to experience again.

  Getting down the stairs took some doing, but they managed it together, and once Derek was happily digging away at what she considered a huge pile of pancakes, she decided it was as good a time as any to head over to the barn.

  “I’ll be back in fifteen minutes after I check on the calves. When I get back, you need to start on your schoolwork. I called the school and got all your homework assignments, so you don’t fall behind.”

  “Gee, thanks.” His lack of excitement wasn’t surprising. No kid wanted to do homework, not any normal kid anyway.

  “Anytime. That’s what friends are for.”

  “To make my life he—heck?” He smirked.

  “You guessed it.” She laughed. Smart-aleck kid was just like his brother.

  The first thing she noticed when she entered the barn was the quiet, followed quickly by the excessive heat. The fan in the corner of the barn sat silent, either switched off or not working. Her guess would be not working, because everyone knew it was important to keep the barn cool. She’d have to call Dylan, but first she wanted to check on the calves. Newborns were more sensitive to the extreme heat.

  Wiping the sweat off her brow, she watched the calves suckle the dam. They seemed frustrated as they kept latching on and then letting go.

  She called Dylan. “Hey, I’m in the barn and there’s a problem with the fan and something’s wrong with the calves. They won’t take milk.”

  “I’ll be there as soon as I can. Call Doc to see what he says about the calves.”

  “Gotcha. See you soon.”

  Ten minutes later, she hung up with Doc with a lot to think about. The heat had reduced the dam’s milk production and increased the calves’ need for precious nutrient-rich fluid. Double jeopardy. Until the fan was fixed, she needed to supplement the calves’ milk intake with a bottle. That was the easy part.

  Doc’s other suggestion was more difficult. It was intriguing to say the least, but she wasn’t sure how to deal with it. She was only here temporarily. At most, another week. But for that week he needed her help.

  Kayla hadn’t seen Doc in years, and the thought of him getting old was unsettling. The chance to help him would be amazing considering he was the reason she wanted to become a vet.

  She still remembered the time Doc had saved Dizzy when she’d taken ill, and he’d been her hero ever since. It might have even been the moment in her life when she’d first become interested in working with animals, although she hadn’t recognized it at the time.

  All reasonable resistance had paled when she’d heard his arguments lined up, the last one designed to force her hand.

  Doc was having heart trouble. No one knew, and he wasn’t ready to let on yet.

  She was here to take care of Derek and Patches, but how much would they need her? Helping Doc out would allow her to alleviate the boredom already setting in. It would be great experience, and who knew when it
would come in handy.

  She’d check with Dylan and Derek, and if they were okay with it, she’d do it.

  “Hey there,” Dylan called out as he entered the barn. “How’s our patient?”

  “Eating breakfast. But speaking of Derek, I need to get back to the house. I told him I’d be back in fifteen.”

  “He’s got crutches, and he’s not a baby. He’ll be fine for a few more minutes. Tell me what you found out?”

  “I need to supplement the cow’s milk until you get the fan fixed. So get to it, because it’s hot in here,” she said with a laugh.

  “I agree with you there. In fact, it’s hotter in here than it is outside, but I suspect it has something to do with you.” He grinned and swooped in to drop a kiss on her lips. “Good morning.”

  “Good morning to you, too, although morning’s all but gone.” Kayla laughed. “What happened to the no-kissing rule?”

  “I told you I wouldn’t kiss you if you didn’t want it. You looked like you wanted it and needed it. Double the reason, and double the pleasure.”

  He was right, but she wasn’t about to let on and give him any more leverage. It was too easy for him. And what did he want? To finish what they started years ago, and then say goodbye again?

  As interesting as Doc’s offer was, her life was in the city and Dylan’s was here on the ranch with his brother. And if she told him the truth about the baby, he’d probably kick her off the ranch faster than a herd of stampeding cattle.

  “Why don’t you go check on Derek and then come back and give me a hand?”

  “You sure ask a lot from your free help.”

  “There’s nothing about you that’s free, trust me.”

  “I’m not sure how to take that comment.”

  “You’ll figure it out if you stick around long enough.”

  “That’s not going to happen. But I’ll be back soon. I’ve got something I want to talk to you about anyway.”

  Thirty minutes later, she had Derek settled in on the couch with his homework.

  “Why do you have to go back to the barn?” Derek whined.

  “I need to talk to Dylan and help him fix the fan.” It was partly the truth. The fan would probably already be fixed, but Kayla wanted to talk to Dylan about her idea.