Rancher in Her Bed

by Joanne Rock

  Another one—from when she was much younger—showed her and her youngest sister, Esme, with their mother, Tamara. Memories swamped him. Tamara Perry had been a rich man’s daughter who married for duty and power but wanted love. Her husband had always paid more attention to business than his wife, and Ryder had always thought that was damned foolish of Sterling. Of course, Ryder had made the same mistake with his first wife, Penny, and regretted it.

  All the more reason to ensure he didn’t make those kinds of mistakes again. He refocused his attention back on Angela, where it belonged.

  “Are you?” she asked him, passing the sugar bowl his way before he waved it off. “Sorry, that is? I wondered afterward if your invitation to the gala was just another way to continue your rivalry with my father. Maybe it was the perfect opportunity to get under his skin?”

  The suggestion rankled.

  “Absolutely not.” He waited until she sat beside him at the breakfast bar, giving her 100 percent of his focus. “Angela, I tried like hell to ignore this attraction because I knew it would make things difficult for you.”

  “Until I kissed you.” Her expression softened at the memory of that shared kiss. “I surprised myself that day.”

  “You surprised me, too, but I’m glad you did.” He wanted to take her hand. To touch her, and convince her that he didn’t have anything but good intentions where she was concerned. But this conversation was too important for them to get sidetracked by attraction. “I couldn’t exactly pretend I didn’t feel something for you once that kiss happened.”

  A sad smile curved her lips before she took a sip of her coffee from a bright red cup that said “girl boss” in white script. His mug, on the other hand, was plain white. He’d bet hers had been a gift.

  “The real question is are you sorry that we kissed?” Ryder continued, watching her pretty profile while she sipped her drink. “Is the pressure from your father too much? Are we going to throw in the towel on this already?”

  He didn’t realize how much he wanted to keep seeing her until he’d voiced the question. But now, with their fledgling relationship hanging in the balance, he knew that he wanted Angela in his life.

  A memory of Xander’s expression this morning crossed his mind, reminding Ryder how far away his son was from realizing that living without love was a lonely way to move through the world. Xander still thought he was protecting his heart by keeping the pretty ranch hand at arm’s length. When really, he was only hurting himself. And her.

  Damned foolish, but he couldn’t tell Xander that in so many words or his son would only dig his heels in deeper.

  Ryder didn’t want that for him and Angela.

  “I’m not sure.” She set her mug on the granite counter and swiveled toward him on the leather padded bar stool. “I spent yesterday at Perry Ranch, and I spoke to one of the maids who remembered you from the time you worked there. She made it sound like there might have been more to your relationship with my mother than just friendship.”

  The hurt in her voice cut right through him. How could they be back to this? He’d thought those blasted rumors had finally died when Tamara passed, but apparently someone was giving the story new life. He clenched his fist, wishing he could make those ugly accusations disappear.

  “Angela.” This time, he did touch her, covering her hand with his. “I cared deeply for your mother, but I never had romantic feelings toward her.” He’d never worried about what the rest of the world thought about his relationship with Tamara, but he damned well cared what Angela thought. “I swear to you, I never so much as kissed her, let alone anything more.”

  She was quiet so long he feared he’d already lost her faith in him. But then she gave a small nod.

  “Thank you for sharing that. I—” She closed her eyes for a moment and then opened them again. “I have a lot to think about.”

  Disappointment landed heavy on his shoulders. Sliding his hand away from hers, he told himself not to push her. He didn’t blame her for being confused. Her father had hated him all her life, so it had come as a surprise that she’d even considered being with him in the first place.

  Maybe he just needed to give her time.

  “We shared a beautiful friendship,” he said finally, wanting to put what he’d had with Tamara into some kind of context for her. “A friendship that your grandfather recognized. That’s the only reason he gave me that land. Because I’d been a friend to your mother when she needed one.”

  There wasn’t anything more to say about that. Angela would have to either believe him or not, because there wasn’t a soul on earth who knew what had happened between him and Tamara the few times they were alone besides Tamara and him. And her mother had died in a car accident the same year that Xander had lost his mother.

  Three years after Ryder had lost Elinah.

  The hits had kept coming during those years. Losing Elinah had devastated him, so Ryder could understand why it was tough for Xander now, when his son was learning to move on without the woman he’d planned to marry. Xander had all but retreated from the world after Rena died, immersing himself in the foreman job at Currin Ranch, the only work he’d cared about. And Ryder had understood the pain all too well, which was why he’d allowed Xander to stay in a job that didn’t utilize his brilliant business mind. He believed his son would come around one day and want to learn the business. To embrace the CEO job at Currin Oil.

  The toughest truth Ryder had ever faced was that life continued to go on, even after the people he loved most in the world had died.

  The loss of Elinah had almost killed him. But here he was, putting one foot in front of the other. Trying to find happiness. And the woman next to him was the best chance he’d had since then.

  Beautiful Angela Perry, his enemy’s daughter.

  But Ryder wasn’t willing to let rumors and old gossip cost him this shot at something deeper with this rare and lovely woman who still looked at him like he meant something. Like he could make her happy. If there was even the slightest chance that he could find love again with Angela, he was sure as hell going to try.

  Eight

  In the morning, after a quick stop in the barn to check on Thistle and the new foal, Frankie tried to decide how to spend her unexpected time off. She lingered with the horses, scratching one of the older mares on the muzzle, wondering if she should take her out for a ride as a way to ease the ache in her chest that felt dangerously close to heartbreak.

  Waking up alone this morning, when she’d been fully expecting to see Xander in bed beside her, had hurt. Hours later, she still couldn’t shake the sense that the night together that had been so significant to her hadn’t meant anything to him.

  She’d known better than to let herself get attached to a man who never stayed with one woman for long. She was supposed to be in it strictly for fun. For the toe-curling kisses, the off-the-charts sex, the physical release that was so good it was practically transcendent.

  Except her emotions couldn’t seem to resist getting involved, no matter how many times she reviewed the ground rules.

  Stepping out of the barn, she decided to walk instead of ride this afternoon. There was a shady path around one of the irrigation ponds that would keep her out of the sun. Normally, she spent all her downtime volunteering with the animal shelter or shadowing Doc Macallan on his rounds. And she loved that work. But today, she was glad to have a few hours to herself to get her head on straight.

  She hurried her pace as she passed the main house, but she stopped when she heard a woman’s raised voice.

  “Frankie!”

  Annabel Currin waved to her from the driveway near the side yard where she walked from the garage with her keys in her hand.

  “Hello,” Frankie called, returning the wave and hoping Xander wasn’t around.

  She wasn’t ready to see him yet.

  Already, Annabel was
hurrying toward her, tucking her keys in a yellow leather handbag as she went. She wore a white sundress with a bright turquoise necklace. Beaded blue-and-yellow sandals glinted in the bright sun. No surprise the style blogger looked beautiful and fashionable.

  “Do you have a minute? I’ve got lunch waiting for me in the pool house, and I’m sure there’s plenty for two.” She gestured toward the building where Xander had taken Frankie after the gala. “There’s an outdoor table under the overhang, so it’s cool enough to sit there and still feel like we’re getting a little fresh air.”

  A landscaping service truck was just pulling out of the driveway. The scent of freshly cut grass hung in the air, all the flowers and trees manicured to perfection.

  Frankie hesitated, mostly because she didn’t want to run into Xander when she hadn’t figured out a game plan yet. “That’s kind of you, but I was just heading to the pond for a walk.”

  “You’ll melt in this heat,” Annabel declared, gesturing toward the pool area. “Sit with me for a few minutes so I can at least get the scoop on how things went at the gala.”

  Annabel was too warmhearted to deny. Besides that, it felt nice to have someone want to spend time with her. As an only child, with parents who’d kept her isolated, Frankie really hadn’t made friends until she’d left home. Even then, she’d moved around so much, trying to find a place that felt “right,” she hadn’t grown close to many people.

  “If you’re sure.” She might as well enjoy the fact that she didn’t have any plans for the day. “But you don’t need to feed me.”

  “Trust me, there will be plenty. Our cook still prepares food for me like I’m getting ready for a growth spurt.” Annabel laughed as she opened the gate to let them inside the pool area. “I don’t think she realizes I’m no longer twelve.”

  Frankie’s gaze went straight to the pool house, memories of her night with Xander swamping her. The whole evening had been magical, from her Cinderella makeover and beautiful dress to the way Xander had made her feel.

  She didn’t realize she’d stopped on the deck to stare at the doors until Annabel said her name. From the puzzled expression on her friend’s face, she guessed it wasn’t the first time she’d called to her.

  “Hmm? I’m sorry, I was thinking what a pretty spot this would be to read a book.” Distractedly, she followed Annabel to the wrought iron patio table tucked under the pergola covered with vines and greenery. A misting hose sprayed the finest cloud of cooling water while an overhead fan kept the temperature to a bearable level.

  “I love coming out here to work on my blogs. But I want to know all about your evening at the gala. Did you have a good time?” Annabel dropped her purse into one of the patio chairs before tucking into a seat herself.

  “It was amazing,” she told her honestly, sliding into the chair opposite Annabel, already feeling cooler as they sat in the shade. “I’d never been to the Four Seasons, and I couldn’t believe how stunning it looked with all the flowers.”

  She’d pressed the orchid Xander had given her between sheets of wax paper to preserve it. Not to overly romanticize him or the date. But her parents had been adamantly opposed to big populated venues, ensuring she hadn’t gone to public school or experienced a prom night. So in a weird way, the Flood Relief Gala had been her first formal.

  Maybe she had totally romanticized it. But in an era where romance was dead, who could blame her for holding tight to a few girlish traditions?

  “It was beautiful,” Annabel agreed as she slid an extra plate and crisp linen napkin toward Frankie. Her smile faded. “We didn’t stay for long, but we did make a brief appearance.”

  Something seemed off about that, making her wonder if Annabel had a falling-out with her fiancé.

  “Is everything okay?” she asked, laying the napkin over her lap.

  “Fine. It’s fine.” Annabel brushed aside the concern with an airy wave of her hand, her smile returning as she pulled off the cover on a chilled plate of finger sandwiches. Her diamond engagement ring still glittered on her hand. “So what did Xander think of your gala look?”

  Frankie wondered about friend etiquette in a situation like that where she suspected something had upset Annabel. Would it help to talk about it? Then again, she didn’t know Annabel all that well, so she hated to press her.

  “He seemed to like it.” Frankie couldn’t help the smile that came with the memory of their first dance.

  “I’ll bet he did. That dress was fantastic on you.” Annabel passed the plate of finger sandwiches toward her while she poured two glasses of water from a pewter pitcher.

  “That’s a ton of sandwiches,” Frankie offered as an aside, taking one after all.

  Although they were tiny—just a couple of bites each—they were piled in a neat stack of circles, each layer a little smaller than the last.

  “I know,” Annabel exclaimed, sliding two onto her own plate. “We could invite all our friends and still have enough. But back to your date.” She slanted a more sidelong glance her way. “I feel like it must have gone well because I made a trip out to the barn last night to check on Thistle, and I heard both of your voices.”

  “You were there?” She tried to remember what they’d talked about last night when they weren’t focused on helping the mare.

  Xander had asked her a lot about her plans for vet school, and the preparations she was making to be accepted into a program.

  Things hadn’t heated up until later.

  “Just long enough to realize that Thistle was already well tended.” She peered over her shoulder, as if checking to be sure they were alone. Then she leaned forward to confide, “And to be honest, it was nice to hear my brother sound...happy. So I decided not to interrupt.”

  “You don’t think he’s been happy these last months?” Surprised to hear Annabel’s view of her brother, Frankie wondered if she’d missed the signs that Xander was still grieving his fiancée during the time she’d worked here.

  “He puts on a good front, but he’s not the same man he was before Rena’s death.”

  It stung to realize she’d never really known the version of Xander that Annabel talked about. Perhaps some of the hurt showed on her face, because Annabel clapped a hand on her wrist.

  “But you’re good for him, Frankie. There was a tone in his voice last night that I haven’t heard in a very long time.”

  Could that be true? Or was Annabel just hearing evidence that her brother was healing simply because she loved him and wanted to believe that?

  “I’m not so sure.” Setting aside the remainder of the egg salad sandwich she’d sampled, Frankie leaned back in her chair, tension balling in her stomach. “He left in the middle of the night without telling me. I thought we—” She forced herself to stop, to button down the notion that she had hoped they were growing closer. She was unaccustomed to sharing her personal life. “I just don’t want you to get your hopes up, because I don’t have any reason to believe we’ll ever have another date.”

  She’d tried so hard to tell herself she was just having fun. But waking up alone had been far from it.

  “That must have been hurtful.” Annabel frowned, her eyes full of empathy. “I’m sorry he treated you that way, Frankie, but for what it’s worth, he’s loved in the past. I believe he can be persuaded to love again.”

  Frankie appreciated the thought. But she knew it was also heavily slanted toward what Annabel wanted to believe. Of course she hoped that Xander would find love again.

  That didn’t mean he was capable of giving his heart to someone. Rena was gone. And Frankie was just...Frankie.

  She knew she wasn’t anything like the women he normally dated.

  “It’s okay,” Frankie reassured her, unwilling to accept any more of Annabel’s kindness when she’d been convincing herself to stay away from Xander anyhow. “I knew when I accepted his offer to go with him
to the Flood Relief Gala that he’s...not looking for anything serious.”

  She pasted a smile on her face. Because she’d been fine with that. She’d even assured herself that she wanted that, too. To put an end to her distracting crush and get him out of her system before she went to veterinary school.

  “What about you?” Annabel’s dark eyes seemed to see straight through her. “Are you okay with that?”

  She was terrified that she wouldn’t be.

  But she had no choice.

  “Of course.” She nodded, hearing the false note in her voice.

  And knowing that Annabel couldn’t miss it.

  “Okaaay,” Annabel said slowly enough to acknowledge that she wasn’t buying it. “But Xander is a good man. And if it was up to me, you wouldn’t give up on him yet.”

  Frankie nodded, unable to speak, let alone commit to what she suggested. But she enjoyed the other woman’s friendship. The moment to share some of what she was going through.

  Instead, she sipped her water, wishing it would cool the new emotion simmering inside her. Because the little flicker of hope she felt at Annabel’s words was bound to burn her if she couldn’t keep her emotions on lockdown.

  Thankfully, Annabel steered their conversation toward lighter topics, topping off their drinks. Lemon, lime and orange wedges mixed with the ice.

  “There’s a Texas Cattleman’s Club planning meeting next week, by the way.” Annabel checked her phone as she spoke and then settled the device back on the table. “Even if you don’t want to move forward with Xander romantically, you would benefit from getting to know the most influential ranchers in the area.”

  “A meeting?” Curious, she tried to shove aside her thoughts about Xander to focus on her career dream.

  “It won’t be as stuffy as it sounds. The TCC movers and shakers will all be there, so they’re holding it in a conference suite at a local historic inn called the Haciendas. There will be a cocktail meet and greet afterward. I’m sure I can get you an invitation.”