“Shhh…” He didn’t need to see the one who responded to know it was Jessie. He’d recognize her voice anywhere.
As he moved down the path of stalls, he saw Shelby peering through the slats of one. Next to her stood Clint Senior and next to him was Madeline, his wife, and finally Jessie. Something inside had caught their attention.
“It’s a colt,” Wade said from within the stable.
“Darn,” Shelby grumbled, while Clint Senior chuckled.
“Whoa, girl,” Ty cooed as grunts and shuffling followed.
By the time Clancy stepped next to Shelby, the mare inside had risen and was nosing her baby, a wet little Dunn.
“Clancy!” Shelby yelled, spinning around to hug his waist.
He gazed down at her and his chest squeezed. From the moment her worthless father abandoned her with Jessie, the little urchin had captured his heart.
He placed a finger against his lips, quieting her, and then pointed to the newborn. “Watch.”
On wobbly, bent legs, the colt attempted to rise, falling down only to try again. Ty, Wade and Clint Junior stood off to the sides, watching his progress as the womenfolk made soft sounds of encouragement.
“Dry him off.” The tall, sixty-three year old man shook his head. Throughout the years, gray had slipped through his brown hair, cut short and neat. “We don’t want him to get a chill from this darn weather.” Each of his sons grabbed a towel and quickly went to work, as Clint Senior shook Clancy’s hand. “Why do these females want to drop their babes in this kind of weather?”
“Hell if I know,” he responded, but it was true. There was something about a rainy day that triggered birthing. He’d had two cows drop their calves around five this morning, another mama in the early stages of labor when he had left the house earlier.
Madeline eased up beside him and gave him a tender kiss on the cheek. Then she brushed back a lock of her short, brown hair behind an ear. “What brings you out on a day like this?”
Wade’s mother was a local trauma counselor and a sweetheart of a lady. She never ceased to amaze him. There was something warm and inviting about her, from the casual loose sweater and jeans she wore to the gentleness in her voice.
“Just wondering how y’all were getting on in this weather.” It was a lie. After leaving the Gilmore’s he wanted—no, needed—a sense of family. The Petersons and Jessie were the closest to that he had.
“Hungry?” Madeline asked.
“No thank you, ma’am.”
For a second, she quietly scrutinized him with her too astute gaze. Only the slight dip of a brow displayed concern. Before he realized it, he shifted his feet and silently cursed himself for the telltale.
She inhaled, before she took him into her arms and hugged him. “Well, we’re so happy you stopped by,” she whispered in his ear. “We don’t see enough of you. You’re like one of my boys. You know that, don’t you, Clancy?”
Emotion stung his eyes, threatening to dig its claws into him, but he held on to his dignity by just a thread. “Thank you.” The strangled words were almost his undoing. It didn’t help that Jessie now had her bright eyes pinned on him.
As Madeline released him, Jessie strolled up beside them. She reached out and grabbed his hand in hers. “Hey, let’s take a walk.”
Damn. He was pitiful. Were his insecurities tattooed on his fuckin’ forehead?
When they squeezed through the open barn door, a light mist greeted them. The fresh, clean scent did nothing to ease the chill that slithered through him. Releasing her hand, he pulled the edges of his jacket together and zipped them.
“So… What’s up?” she asked, watching him.
“Damn weather puts me on edge.”
She chuckled. “Liar.” Then she shot him a you-gonna-stick-to-that-story expression, but he ignored her, choosing to look away.
Silence engulfed them as they strolled onward.
“You know you’re talking, or rather not talking to me, Clancy.”
“Yeah. I forgot what a nag you can be.”
The punch in the shoulder came from out of nowhere, stinging his arm. He cupped his palm over the spot.
“Owww. What’s that for?” he asked.
“You are such a bullheaded man. Something is wrong. We’ve never kept secrets from each other. Don’t tell me you’re going to start now.”
“It’s the weather, Jess. Just makes me a little melancholy.”
She cocked her head, her penetrating stare made him uneasy. “No,” she simply said, before she added, “You know I love you.”
Pulling the brim of his hat down, he choked, “Yeah. I know.”
Her fingers closed around his wrist, moving to intertwine with his fingers. “I’m always here if you need me.”
He took her into his arms, held her, but for the first time she didn’t provide him the comfort he needed. She belonged to his best friend, but more importantly she wasn’t Tess.
The blood in his veins froze with the thought. The attraction between them couldn’t be denied. Fuck. He’d fallen for Tess and he knew without a doubt it wasn’t simply lust. Any other time he would have bed the woman and walked away, but with her it was different.
He jerked his hand out of Jessie’s. “I’ve got to go.”
“Clancy?”
“Bye, Jessie.” He didn’t turn around, just kept on walking toward his truck.
Her steps beat after him. “Clancy? Please. Don’t go.”
Without pausing he climbed into his truck. She was at his window, her warm palm against the cold glass. He started the engine and she stepped away, leaving a frosty outline of her hand. The sadness in her eyes killed him, but he needed to be alone. Needed to figure out how to get his head screwed on straight, and he couldn’t do that here.
He struck out, going north toward Austin when his cell phone rang. For a moment he was a little disoriented. Where was his damn phone? Then he saw it in the dash cubbyhole next to his radio. Grabbing it, he flipped it open.
“Wiseman.”
The voice on the other end sounded frantic.
“Milo? Hey, man, slow down.”
“I found her.”
“Found who?”
“Julie. They’re in Amarillo, but someone tipped them off. Debbie is threatening to run. Man. I hate to ask this, but…I-I need money.” The man’s voice shook. “I’ve got to get to Amarillo. Stop her.”
Clancy slowed his truck, turning onto the shoulder. “Don’t worry about the money, Milo.” He reversed the vehicle and then headed back the way he came. “Call my attorney, and then the airlines. Book three tickets for Amarillo.”
“I can’t ask that of you. The lawyer’s cost alone will be—”
“Let me worry about that. Call the attorney.”
“What if he won’t come?”
“He will.” Money had a way of swaying people and Clancy would make it right. “I’ll swing by the house and pick you up. Throw a couple things in a bag for me. I’ll be there in thirty.” The phone went dead as he pressed down on the accelerator.
He was there in twenty.
As he drove into the driveway, Milo waited with two bags in hand. His face was flushed, his eyes and nose red. Damn. This was heartbreaking. The man loved his daughter. Why did Debbie see fit to hurt him over and over?
The truck had barely slowed down when Milo reached for the handle. “I can’t thank you enough—” He tossed the bags in the backseat, before pinching the bridge of his nose.
“Attorney?”
“He’ll meet us at the airport.”
“Good. Then there is nothing to worry about. Everything will be okay. Trust me.” As the promise slipped from Clancy’s lips, he prayed he could live up to it.
Milo needed to be reunited with his daughter.
Chapter Thirteen
Tess’s nerves prickled her skin as they grew nearer to the Peterson’s ranch. Her hands were sweaty, trembling slightly. It had been over a week since she’d seen or heard from Clancy.
According to one of his ranch hands he had gone to Amarillo and wasn’t expected back for a while.
As she had left for work Friday, she had seen Clancy’s truck pass by her house. Like now, her pulse had sped and her breathing hitched. She didn’t know what to expect today, but she had to do what she had to do. Making their ranch a success meant everything, and these were the people who could help her, including Clancy.
Levi’s gaze left the road long enough to give her a concerned look. “You okay?”
“Fine. Why?” She wasn’t fine, but her brother didn’t need to know.
Once again he pulled his attention off the road and glanced down at her fingers thrumming against her thigh. “You’re acting nervous.”
She curled her fingers into a fist. “There’s just so much to learn.” And she couldn’t forget their finances. Right now they were doing all right, but how long would that last if they had to supplement feed and purchase more stock? But that wasn’t the real reason behind her anxiety.
When they approached a gravel road and a large sign that hung above the entrance to the Peterson’s homestead, she swallowed, but the knot in her throat refused to dislodge. The words CP Angus Ranch were burned into the largest beam Tess had ever seen. Before her, miles of well-tended white, wooden fences zigzagged along rolling green hills, separating herds of both horses and cattle. She understood immediately the difference between the Peterson’s and their own land. Rich green grass flourished, compared to the shorter blades that donned their ground. But this land didn’t have their beautiful trees, hilltops or the flowing brooks that cut naturally through the rougher terrain.
Levi let out a low whistle as he slowed the truck, pulling it to a stop, while Tess hopped out to unlock the large wrought iron gate. Giving the heavy gate a push, she walked it back until it was wide enough for her brother to drive through. Then she proceeded to close and refasten the latch, before she climbed back into the vehicle.
Levi’s eyes twinkled. “Pretty impressive, huh?”
Yes. It was, but it couldn’t hold a candle to Clancy’s ranch. The Peterson’s ranch home was bigger than theirs, but just as common looking. Not like the elegant home Clancy lived in.
“Look! They’re roping.” Levi bypassed the house and headed for the arena.
As he maneuvered the truck to a stop, a calf broke from the chute, a horse and rider hot on its heels. The swirling rope above the rider was a work of art. There was almost a musical quality to the flow of the lasso as it soared through the air, before hooking around the animal’s neck. The rider nearly flew off his horse. As the Palomino mare began to ease backward, almost dragging the calf, the cowboy ran forward and tossed it on its side. In mere seconds, the calf’s legs were tied together. The small crowd watching roared with approval. That’s when the man removed his hat.
Oh God. It was Clancy.
Tess hadn’t thought she would have to face him today. Well, at least not here at the Peterson’s. They weren’t scheduled to meet with him until later in the afternoon.
As soon as Shelby saw them, she ran for the truck. Tess barely wedged the door open when the little girl threw her arms around Tess’s waist and hugged her.
Tess returned the embrace. “Hi, Shelby.”
“Hi, Miss Gilmore. Jessie!” A beautiful, dark-haired woman turned and smiled. “That’s my sister. Beside her is Wade, her husband. Ty is his brother.”
Oh, Tess knew Ty quite well—maybe too well. He had a freckle on his right ass cheek.
Levi wasted no time joining the men, while Jessie split from them and approached. As her full lips rose into a smile, she held her hand out to greet Tess. “I’ve heard so much about you.”
Unease slithered up Tess’s spine as she accepted the woman’s hand and shook. “I hope it was good.”
Per the gossip, this woman and her husband used to be Clancy’s threesome. The thought tightened the tendons in her neck as unease skittered across her skin. A quick assessment found Tess slightly taller. Their hair about the same length, but Jessie’s was a midnight-black that shone blue in the sunlight. Athletically built, but curvy in all the right places, the woman was perfect. For some reason that irritated the crap out of Tess.
“Absolutely. All good,” she responded.
When a petite blonde joined the men, Wade and Ty both wedged between her and Levi.
Their posturing set Tess’s feet in motion. She would make damn sure nothing happened. Because the seductive way the young woman eyed Tess’s brother definitely meant trouble and another potential fight for Levi.
Ty walked over to Tess and gave her a big hug, which raised Levi’s brows along with Clancy’s who had strolled to the fence.
“Tess Gilmore, my brother Wade and my sister Tori. I see you’ve met our Jessie.”
Tess shook Wade’s hand. Like Ty, his brother had golden-brown hair and wore a short-cropped mustache and beard. She nodded toward their sister who had taken the opportunity to shake loose of her brothers’ protection and now stood next to Levi. When the men realized she’d given them the slip, they both frowned, which rubbed Tess the wrong way. Her brother was a gentleman, a good kid. Yes, he made a mistake that night they had brought him home drunk, but who didn’t?
“So, Tori, you go to school with Levi,” she asked.
“Yes, ma’am.” Even as she answered Tess’s question, she batted long eyelashes at Levi.
Tess could have sworn her brother’s chest puffed out like a rooster. He tipped back his Stetson and grinned ear to ear. She almost laughed, but knew it wouldn’t help matters.
“Levi, come take a look at my new mare.” Clancy drew the boy’s attention. He climbed through the wooden slats and entered the arena.
Someone tugged at her hand and Tess looked down to see Shelby by her side.
“Tori’s teaching me to ride.”
“She is?” For the first time since Tess had arrived, she relaxed. Levi was away from Tori. Ty and his brother were no longer scowling. And there was a fence between her and Clancy.
“Our little sister provides riding lessons, not only to adults and children, but she works with the handicapped and less fortunate,” Ty said proudly, even as he yanked on one of her braids. She jerked away from him, but not before punching him squarely in the shoulder. “Ouch!” His eyes widened as he rubbed his arm. “See if I ever sing your praises again.”
Tori blushed prettily, but clearly her eyes were for Levi who had climbed atop the big yellow horse. She drew closer, gripping the fence and placing a boot on the bottom rung.
“He sits a saddle nicely,” she purred. Her brothers didn’t miss their sister’s interest. Once again they were frowning.
Tess moved beside her. “He’s been riding all his life.”
“And you?” Ty’s sexy voice came from over one of her shoulders.
She didn’t turn around, knowing that it would bring them mouth to mouth. Instead her heart leaped in her chest. “When I can.” The words came out breathy.
“Good. Riding is the best way to see the ranch. Tori, go saddle two more horses and then you can go inside and help Mom.”
“I’m coming with you.”
“No!” Wade and Ty spoke in unison, which reminded Tess of her sisters. Given these cowboys’ good looks, she was glad that Rose and Rachel had made arrangements to go to the mall with friends today.
“But—”
“Tori.” The firmness in Wade’s tone must have clinched the deal, because his sister released a harrumph. “Come on, Shelby. You can help me.”
As the sound of gravel popping beneath feet drifted away, Jessie joined Tess at the fence. “We’re having a couple friends over for a barbeque at lunch time. I hope you’ll join us.”
“Thank you, but—”
“She’d love to.” Ty hovered over her. Way too close for comfort.
“Ty, back off and give the woman some breathing room.” Jessie smiled knowingly. “The Petersons have a way of making it hard for a woman to think.”
; Shit. Shit. Shit.
Tess got the distinct feeling this woman knew about her and Ty, but did she know about Clancy too?
Wade circled his arms around his wife’s waist, pulling her back against his chest. “And I like my woman that way.” Jessie giggled, before she turned her head to receive her husband’s kiss.
Their show of affection tightened Tess’s chest.
Would she ever have a relationship like theirs? Even with Ty so near, she glanced at Clancy, who stood looking up at her brother still perched high atop the horse. She couldn’t hear what they were saying, but Levi nodded and climbed off the horse.
“Clancy’s good with children,” Jessie offered. “He’ll make a fine husband some day.”
Tess snapped her head around in disbelief. The woman grinned.
She knew—she knew about the three of them.
Wrapped in Wade’s arms, Jessie deepened her smile. “Clancy hasn’t said a word to you since you arrived.” She didn’t elaborate further. Her husband kept his gaze forward, but Tess could see him fighting a grin of his own.
They all knew.
“Awkward.” Ty chuckled behind her and she wanted to strangle the scoundrel.
Awkward didn’t begin to describe the moment. She was beyond embarrassed. Lord help her. She prayed that Tori wasn’t aware of her indiscretion. She would die if Levi ever discovered the truth, and then there were her sisters. While Tess died a little inside, Clancy and Levi joined them.
Wade released his hold on Jessie. “Let’s saddle up.” As she started to walk away, he struck her playfully on the ass. She startled. Frowning, she looked over a shoulder, but there was no malice in her eyes, only love.
“She isn’t going with us?” Tess asked.
“Nah. She’s helping Mom and Tori with the preparations for the barbeque.”
As they headed toward the line of horses tied to a hitching post outside the barn, Wade began to explain the workings of their ranch. “Clint, our eldest brother, works more with our dad and the finances. They had to go to town this morning, but I’m sure one of them will be happy to speak with you during the barbeque.”
One thing Tess knew for sure was they would not be staying for the party.
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