The little cabin had two twin beds and dolls sitting on the shelves and lying on the bed pillows. “It’s for sure a girl.” Michael laughed. There were pink ruffled curtains on the windows and a thick pink rug on the floor.
Jacob laughed. “I wonder if they use it now or if it’s safe to rest here for a while? Do you think the dolls will mind?”
“I hope not; this would be a great place to rest for a couple of days. There’s food in the cupboards, and I haven’t slept in a bed for a while.” Michael scratched his head. “We could leave money for the food.”
“We’re in Missouri now. It’s very remote here; the less people we see, the better. Let’s at least stay here tonight. Tomorrow when it’s light, we can look around and see if it looks okay to stay longer. Remember, we changed our names if we come across anyone. They are still trying to find us in Minnesota.” Jacob knew that technically Michael should be in the foster care system until he’s eighteen. They fled when they heard the state was planning to separate them. That was when Jacob and Michael Sperry became Jacob and Michael Walker and set off on their own.
The cabin was so inviting. They were exhausted; when they lay down, they fell asleep immediately.
The next day, they opened cupboards and found boxes of cereal, and crackers, and even some cans of pork and beans.
“Man, this looks good.” Michael pulled back the tab, opened the can, and used his fingers to eat the beans.
“We might be able to stay here a spell. I’ll go get some water.” Jacob took a bucket over to the river. It was dark in the densely wooded area along the creek. Wildflowers and lily pads grew near the water. It was a beautiful morning. Jacob took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the sweet air of the woods. A large frog jumped as he bent down to scoop water into the bucket, splashing his shirt. Jacob smiled, feeling optimistic for the first time in days.
As he stood up, a black Cocker Spaniel ran up to him barking. “Hey there, fella, you need to be quiet, or you’ll give us away.”
“Why would that be a problem?” a decidedly feminine voice said from behind him.
Jacob looked up at the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen. She looked like a forest fairy. Her long, curly blond hair was blowing in the breeze, and a halo from the sun shone all around her. Her eyes were a brilliant blue, and she had perfectly straight teeth. She was wearing a light, filmy robe of some kind that hung down to her feet over her jeans.
“Well, it wouldn’t really except we are probably on private property.” He stood up and set down his bucket, thinking maybe they had discovered an enchanted forest along the Mississippi. The dog placed himself between the forest fairy and Jacob.
“Yes, you are, and it’s mine. That bucket is also mine. What are you doing here?” The girl looked angry and a bit scared. Jacob was tongue-tied. She was magical; he seemed unable to form his words. What was wrong with him?
Jacob sighed; they might have to run for it again after all. But maybe he could trust her. “We’ve been traveling down the river and stopped to find something to eat. We stayed in that cabin over yonder, which is probably yours too.” Jacob was stuttering.
“When you say we, who are you talking about?” She seemed to be more comfortable with his presence, but he surely wasn’t feeling comfortable with hers. His heart was racing, and he could barely form his words when talking to her. She probably thought he was deranged somehow.
“My little brother Michael is back at the cabin.”
She turned and headed toward the cabin; looking back, she stopped. “Well, bring the water, you’ll need it.” They both walked along the path. “What’s your name?”
“I’m Jacob, and my brother is Michael.”
“I’m Olivia. I live here most of the year but sometimes leave to travel with my parents in the summertime. I used to play here all the time but came down today to look it over. I was taking my dog, Lucky, for a walk.”
“I’m sorry; we’ve eaten some of your food.”
Michael opened the door and dropped his jaw.
“Michael, this is Olivia, and it’s her cabin we stayed in last night.”
Olivia came into the cabin and gave them a tour and showed them the trapdoor where she had more food stored. “I always wondered why I felt like I needed to store food in this cabin. You two must be the reason.” Her eyes sparkled as she smiled at them both. “I guess you won’t need my dolls.” Olivia started to laugh, and the boys joined in.
Jacob brought himself back to the present, looking around his bunkhouse room, and smiled as he remembered those dolls all dressed up in fancy clothing. She had said she was too old for them, but he’d noticed how carefully she carried them when she left.
Michael came back to the bunkhouse. “Jacob, you and Libby can be together now, well, once she dumps that Chad guy.”
Jacob sighed. Thinking about Libby after all these years brought back the intense feelings he once had for her. It all seemed like a dream now. He got off the bunk bed and hung his hat on the door hook. “Michael, she’s traveling in a rich crowd, if she’s one of the guests here at the ranch. She isn’t going to want to have anything to do with us now. This will just be a visit with old friends.”
“Jacob, Dad told us it doesn’t matter how much money a man has or what his positions are in town. If his character is good, people will respect him. If it’s not, they won’t, no matter where he puts his hat at night. Money doesn’t matter.”
“Yes, but this is different, we were kids then, Michael. She’s moved on.”
As Michael started to walk back out to the barn, he turned. “Jacob, what about the promise?”
Chapter 3
Olivia sighed as she rode down the path behind a group of vacationers headed to the back pasture. They walked their horses into the river bottom where the woods provided much-appreciated shade. The road they followed was overgrown with grasses and wildflowers. Giant pecan trees lined the riverbed, and squirrels scolded as if they owned the woods. The peace she felt in the woods brought her back to her own home. Although, walking slowly along was not her idea of riding. She thought back to her family’s ranch along the Mississippi River. There were miles of riding paths, and often she rode out at a gallop to the end of their property.
Back then, Libby had joined a riding club at the university, where she met Chad. He worked in the university stables, and all the girls loved him. He flirted with everyone. At first, she tried to gain his attention just because he was well-liked. It was a challenge. He had responded well enough, but when he found out who she was and learned about her family wealth, he was all in.
It bothered Olivia at first, but he was solicitous of her every need, and he took her on fun dates. Candi, her roommate, was always asking for details of their dates. She told Olivia she was the envy of all the girls. Olivia liked having the boy everyone wanted. Months later, she found herself engaged to Chad. This wasn’t her plan at all. Olivia shook her head and raised her eyebrows. How am I going to get out of this? She looked over at Chad, who looked as uncomfortable on his horse as she was beginning to feel in this relationship. Even though they were riding through a beautiful live oak forest, he didn’t seem to even notice. Libby was beginning to realize they didn’t have much in common.
She thought back to Jacob and Michael and the wonderful richness their friendship had added to her life. Her parents took many business trips abroad when she was younger; she was left home with the housekeeper. She had always been pretty independent; she loved reading and kept herself busy with projects while they were gone. Her grandmother had taught her to crochet and paint. Her housekeeper’s husband was happy to help her with projects from the time she was twelve. He started with little birdhouse kits that he had made for her. She liked building things and at eighteen made a table for her little playhouse by the river. Making a table was a feat that her parents didn’t even realize she’d done. They missed a lot on their business trips to Europe.
Even though she kept busy, it was lonely, so findi
ng two cute boys living in her cabin was quite exciting. Libby and the boys became friends easily, and she felt like she had a purpose in taking care of them. She also loved the adventures they would plan together.
One day, she came down to visit them at night. Their goal that night was to sneak up to the stables and meet the horses without getting caught. “Okay, boys, here’s the plan. The groomsman will go home at 7 p.m., and it will be dark at 8:30. That’s when we’ll make our move.”
“If we get caught, we’ll have to move on, Libby; you know that, right?”
Libby’s heart constricted at the thought. What would she do without them?
“Don’t worry, we’ll be so careful. I have everything planned out. It’ll be fun, and besides, I want you to meet Ranger. He’s my favorite.” Libby sat down on the bunk with the boys, and they played a couple of games of Rook. She was very competitive at games and could tell the boys were a bit surprised at her aggressiveness. They laughed a lot. She liked everything she was learning about them.
After it was dark, they followed Libby as she made her way through the woods toward her home and outbuildings. It was a long hike. Previously, to be safe, they’d never walked through the extensive woods toward any of the outbuildings. Libby had warned them of the ranch hands and the importance of staying hidden. She knew they would call the authorities immediately if they found strangers living in her cabin. It was with some trepidation that they followed her. The tree roots that covered the path were ready to trip whoever was not watching carefully. When they came to the clearing and could see the house, Jacob stopped.
“Libby, you didn’t tell us you were rich. This house looks like a hotel.”
She stopped at the foot of a large weeping willow tree and turned around to talk with them. “I don’t have anyone here. I don’t even have friends from school because my parents enrolled me in homeschool so I could travel with them. That got boring waiting around in hotel rooms, so I decided to stay here the rest of my high school years.” She looked down. “I’m not rich in the things that’re important.”
Michael reached out and patted Libby’s arm. “You’re right, friends and family are more important. A home is important when it has everyone in it.” They continued through the woods, heading toward the stables. Once inside, Libby led them over to Ranger’s stall. He was a beautiful palomino stallion. When he saw her, he nickered, came to the door, and then leaned his head over her shoulder. Libby loved that horse.
Libby came back to the present as Chad rode up beside her. She couldn’t help comparing Chad to Jacob. Looking at Jacob as a man was impressive. He had filled out. His upper body mass was huge, and he was strong. She had watched him pick up a bale of hay with one hand and swing it up and over the fence for the horses. She was sure Chad could never have done that. Libby was sorry she had let Chad talk her into this vacation. Particularly as he made it obvious he was not enjoying himself.
“Now this is a fun vacation for a girl who needs to get horses out of her system.” Chad laughed and patted her arm.
“I grew up with horses, Chad.” Libby looked over at Chad, wondering why he looked so uncomfortable sitting on that horse. Maybe it was the saddle or something. As she looked at him, she thought about Jacob’s kind eyes. Chad was shrewd and calculating but not kind. He could be fun when he made an effort like he wasn’t doing on this trip.
“I don’t know how you survived. This one tried to bite me.” Chad scowled down at the horse he was riding and jerked the reins when the horse turned his head to look back at him. “I know you like these animals.” He looked down at his horse with distaste. “I don’t mind that, Olivia. After your parents’ death in Europe, relying on routines and fancies from your childhood is a comfort.”
Chad was getting annoying, and Libby didn’t want to argue with him. The vacation was already becoming a trial listening to him complain. “Chad, you’ve been wonderful helping me regain my foothold in life again. I appreciate it so much. But I’m getting ready to take charge.”
“That’s very brave of you, Olivia, but the world of finance is not a place for a woman; it’s dog-eat-dog out there.” He reached over and patted her hand. “Once we’re married, you won’t even have to think about it.”
Libby sighed. “I plan to think about it, Chad. I want to be able to manage my affairs efficiently.”
“Well, honey, of course you do, but you don’t have to do it by yourself. I’m just trying to save you the worry and stress of it all.”
Olivia gave her horse a little kick and rode up to ride next to Carson. Carson was the ranch manager, and his company was preferable to Chad’s at the present moment. She thought back during the time she was recovering from her grief. During that time, memories of her time with the boys were comforting. She smiled, thinking about their barn adventure which almost backfired.
After they met Ranger, they climbed up into the hayloft where Libby had set up a painting studio. Many of her paintings hung on the walls. She didn’t think they were good at all, but she liked displaying them anyway. Jacob and Michael were the first people she had invited to see them. She was excited to see what they thought.
“Wow, Libby, these paintings are good.” Michael walked around the haystack to see about twenty paintings nailed in various positions along the barn wall.
Just then, they heard voices coming toward the stables. “Quick, bury yourself in the hay.” All three of them burrowed into the haystack, lying silently.
It sounded like two men with the groomsman. “Yes, I got a letter from the owners. They want to sell the horses as soon as their daughter heads to college.”
Libby gasped. She whispered to Jacob, “They can’t sell Ranger. I won’t let them.”
Her groomsman continued, “I wanted you to see this stallion ahead of time. I might be able to get you a special deal with him.”
The other man opened the stall and walked inside. “Yes, he’s a treasure. His line is famous. Why didn’t they race him?”
“He was a gift for their daughter, but I’ve been training him over the years, and he can run. What about the other horses, are you interested in any of them?”
“I might be. Thanks for giving us a look ahead of time. When do you think they’ll auction him off?”
The men left the stables and turned off the light.
Libby and the boys climbed out of the hay and brushed themselves off. Libby sat back down on the pile. “I can’t believe my parents would sell my horse without even talking to me about it.” She sighed. “You know, you two are my best friends in the world. Well, actually, you’re my only friends.” She laughed.
“Seriously, we would do anything to help you, Libby.” Michael put his hand on her shoulder.
Maybe it was their dire circumstances and her extreme loneliness, but the three of them bonded almost from the first day they met. Every night, she brought down board games and books to read. They all could relax and be themselves together. She thought back to their time in the barn. That had been a crisis for Libby. To find out her parents had so little regard for her feelings that they would sell her horse out from under her without so much as a word really hurt.
“Let’s make a promise,” Michael suggested. “No matter where we end up, we’ll always stay friends.” Michael put his hand down on a wood stump.
Libby put her hand down on top of Michael’s. “We’ll stay friends forever.”
Jacob placed his hand over hers. “We’ll help each other no matter what.”
Then all three said, “We promise.” They lay back onto the hay, smiling.
Libby smiled, thinking of the promise. They were there for her when she needed them. She needed them so much when her parents died overseas. Where were they then? She sighed.
Jacob got off the bunkhouse bed as Michael came in to shower before dinner. “I really hope this dinner doesn’t end in a fiasco. I don’t know if I can stand the way that guy talks to Libby. He acts like he’s much smarter than she is about everything. I’m s
urprised she puts up with it.”
While Michael showered, Jacob thought back to the spin-the-bottle game. There wasn’t anything in her demeanor then that would make one think she didn’t know her own mind. Her plans that night certainly proved that.
When Libby came down to play board games, she brought bottles of root beer with her and a pint of vanilla ice cream.
Michael laughed. “Libby, what’s the special occasion?”
“You’ll see later.” They made root beer floats and drank all the root beer. When they finished, Libby smiled conspiratorially and said, “I have a new game. It’s called spin the bottle.”
Jacob felt his face turn bright red. “I know that game, Libby, but I’ve never played it.”
“Do you want to play it now?” Libby raised her eyebrows at him, flirting.
“What about Michael, do you want him to play too?”
Libby thought a moment and laughed. “Yes, but Michael will be a forehead player.”
So, they played spin the bottle. Libby was first to spin, and the bottle stopped pointed at Michael, so she leaned over and kissed his forehead. Then it was Michael’s turn, and his pointed to Jacob. Everyone laughed, and they decided to let that pass. When Jacob took his turn, his hands were shaking. He had been letting his mind wonder what a kiss would be like since he first met Libby. The bottle stopped pointed at Libby. As Jacob looked up, his face and neck felt hot.
Libby stood up. “This one will have to happen outside behind the tree.” Jacob followed her outside, leaving Michael smiling conspiratorially. Libby walked along the side of the cabin to the tree. She turned around and placed her hands on Jacob’s shoulders. Jacob wasn’t experienced in kissing. He’d kissed a girl in fifth grade, but that wasn’t anything like this. He looked down into Libby’s sparkling eyes. He could see the love she had for him—it took his breath away. It then seemed to be the most natural thing in the world to lean down and place his lips gently on hers. The explosion of emotions engulfed him.
Lost Billionaire Heir: Billionaire Cowboy Sweet Romance (Texas Ranch Romance Book 8) Page 2