“Oh,” Gwen said with a shiver. “I’ve seen some of those rodeo events on television, and they really look dangerous.”
Billy smiled. “They can be, and the stock can be, too, because they all have different personalities. That’s why after spending a day over there I enjoy coming here and beating Dean or James at chess.”
“And that’s not an easy thing to do, either,” Gwen said as she held her hand out. “I’m glad to meet you, Billy.”
He smiled and shook it, then tilted his head to one side and stared at her, his eyebrows wrinkled in a frown. “Gwen?” he said. “You look so familiar. It’s almost like...” Before he could finish his thought, he snapped his fingers and glanced at Dean. “I know why she’s so familiar. James showed me a picture of her once when I was here. It was your wedding photo, Dean.” He turned back to Gwen. “You aren’t just a friend. You’re his ex-wife.”
Dean spoke up before she could answer. “Yes, I’m sure Granddad told you we’re divorced. Have been for five years now.”
“Yeah, that’s what he said.” Billy stared at Gwen a moment longer before he turned back to Dean. “I didn’t mean to stick my nose in your business. It was just such a shock to remember where I’d seen her.”
“That’s okay. Granddad always loved Gwen. He talked about her a lot.”
“I could tell he cared a lot about her.” Billy took a deep breath and looked down at his watch. “It’s getting late, and I have to make sure my horse is taken care of for the night. I’d better be getting on home. Let me know if I can do anything for you.”
“I will,” Dean said. He and Gwen watched Billy walk over to a dust-covered Jeep that sat at the edge of the front yard. When he’d driven away, Dean held out his hand toward the front door. “Ready to get something to eat?”
As Gwen climbed the steps to the front porch, he felt a tingle of pleasure in the knowledge that she was here with him after all these years. And she’d agreed to help him with the funeral. Despite the support he knew he’d get from his friends and the community, it meant so much to have her by his side for all this.
A small voice in his head cautioned him to be careful, though. Gwen agreed to come here only because someone had tried to kill her and because she knew how difficult the next few days were going to be for him.
She might have agreed to stay temporarily, but he’d seen the truth in her eyes. The thought that she didn’t want to be here and didn’t want to be around him felt like a knife slicing through his heart. As soon as she could complete her work, she’d be on a plane back to New York, and he’d be more lonely than ever.
With heavy footsteps he trudged up to the porch and reached out to open the door, then hesitated, halted by the sudden feeling of loss that radiated through his body. His grandfather wasn’t inside the house he loved, and he was never coming back. Gwen didn’t intend to stay, either, and the thought felt like an anvil crushing Dean’s chest.
In the old days two problems like that would have had him reaching for a bottle of liquor, but he couldn’t do that now. He’d come too far and overcome too much to let himself be pulled back into his old lifestyle.
Besides, he wanted to show Gwen how he’d changed. Maybe if he could do that she’d agree to let him see her every once in a while. Not on a regular basis, of course, but just enough to satisfy the hunger in his heart for her. And just enough to gain forgiveness from the only woman he’d ever loved.
* * *
The inside of the house had changed somewhat in the years since Gwen had been away. The last time she’d been here, Gramps was just beginning to turn his farm into a dude ranch. Now there were indications everywhere that it had become a lucrative venture.
As they stepped into the great room, where she’d spent many happy hours with Dean and his grandfather, she saw that the big fireplace still was the focal point, but a big television hung above it now and comfortable couches and chairs were scattered about. In one corner was a table with brochures on it advertising sights to see and adventures to experience in the Smokies. A table on the opposite wall held machines for making coffee and tea and large baskets of packaged snacks. The whole room seemed to have been specially designed for the comfort of guests.
Off to the left of the great room she stared at what had once been a small office with a desk for keeping farm records. Now it contained filing cabinets and a computer workstation that could rival her office equipment at the television station in New York.
She’d never thought she’d see this place again, but now she was here. And she found that it felt so right. She quickly dismissed that thought from her mind.
Nothing about this was right. She and Dean were divorced, and she would be leaving as soon as she’d finished helping him plan the funeral for his grandfather. In the meantime, there were still locations to be scouted, and she intended to get that job done right away so she could be free to help with the planning when Gramps’s body was returned. Then she could get back to New York, where she belonged.
She stepped into the dining room behind Dean and stared in amazement at how the room had changed. “It’s so much bigger,” she said in disbelief.
He chuckled. “The space we had wasn’t big enough to accommodate the number of guests we wanted, so we knocked out the back wall and enlarged it.”
Gwen let her gaze drift over the room. Two long rustic wooden tables with benches stood in the center of the room, and smaller tables were scattered around the walls. She turned to Dean and shook her head in amazement. “I never dreamed you would have this many guests. How many do you usually accommodate at one time?”
He shrugged. “That depends on how many people are staying in the cabins. We have twelve on the ranch and some sleep as many as eight people. Then we have a few guest rooms here in the main house. Business has been good for the past few years, though, and we stay fully booked most of the time.”
She came to a halt and stared at him. “Are all your rooms in the main house occupied with guests right now?”
“Yeah. I think we’re at capacity.”
She narrowed her eyes and propped her hands on her hips. “So where did you think you’d put me when you talked me into coming home with you?”
“I thought I’d give you my room, and I would sleep in the bunkhouse with the ranch hands.” His eyes darkened and he swallowed. “But I guess I won’t have to do that now. I can put you in Granddad’s room.”
Her heart pricked at the sorrow on his face, and she reached for his hand. “Are you sure about this, Dean? If it’s going to cause you any stress to think about your grandfather’s room being occupied by someone else, I can go back to the motel.”
His gaze traveled over her, and her breath hitched in her throat. It was almost as if he was caressing her with his eyes. After a moment he pulled his hand free from hers. “The only thing that’s giving me comfort right now is the fact that you’re here with me. I don’t want to face this alone, and I don’t want you in further danger. So for the time being, let’s make the best of a bad situation.”
She was about to respond when the door to the kitchen burst open and Shorty barreled into the room. He grinned and held up two plates. “Here’s that supper I saved you from the cookout—chuckwagon steak, baked beans and my famous sourdough bread. Hot and ready to eat.”
Gwen’s stomach growled as the scent of the food tickled her nose. She closed her eyes and sniffed. “Oh, that smells delicious. I haven’t had sourdough bread since my last visit here.”
Shorty set the plates on one of the tables at the side of the room and wiped his hands on the long white apron he wore. “Well, missy, while you’re here, I’ll make sure you have enough to satisfy your appetite.”
Gwen laughed and walked to the table. She was about to pull out the chair to sit when she felt Dean at her back. Before she could move, he’d pulled the chair back from th
e table and held it for her.
She looked up at him and then dropped her gaze at the intense expression on his face. Without saying anything, she eased down into the chair. She could feel his hands against her back as he pushed the chair closer to the table, and a tingle of pleasure rippled through her body.
His hand brushed against her shoulder, and his breath fanned the side of her face as he leaned closer. “Welcome back to Little Pigeon Ranch, Gwen. I hope you’ll enjoy your stay with us and that we can repair some of the hurt we’ve caused each other.”
His voice held a pleading quality, and she glanced up at him. “I hope so, too, Dean.”
He smiled and walked around to the chair facing her. “Then there’s no better way to get started than to sit down to one of Shorty’s meals.”
Before she could answer, the cook pushed the kitchen door open and stuck his head back in. “Let me know if you need seconds, but save some room. I have peach cobbler for dessert.”
Gwen laughed as she picked up her fork and knife. “I can see I’m going to have to watch it while I’m here. I’m not used to eating like this, but I know the food will be too good for me to resist.”
Shorty grinned and ducked back in the kitchen. She cut into her steak and put the first bite in her mouth. Her eyes closed, and she gave a groan of satisfaction. “Delicious. I haven’t had anything this good in a long time.”
Dean looked up from cutting his own meat and smiled. “Really? You were always a good cook. What do folks up in New York eat?”
She swallowed the food in her mouth and laughed as she cut into the steak again. “Macaroni and cheese is one of the favorites at my house.”
The words were barely out of her mouth before she realized what she’d said. That was Maggie’s favorite dish, and she begged for it several times a week. Gwen’s hand froze on her knife, and she cast a wild-eyed look at Dean.
A small frown wrinkled his forehead, and he studied her with interest. “Since when did you start eating macaroni and cheese? You never used to like it.”
“Uh, I—I like quick and easy-to-fix dishes these days.” Her face grew warm, and she stuffed another bite into her mouth and chewed.
Dean grinned briefly. “I can’t argue with that.”
For the next few minutes they concentrated on their meal without speaking. By the time Gwen had cleaned her plate, her pulse had quit pounding at the thought of how close she’d come to revealing more than she should. She took a sip from her coffee cup and watched as Dean scraped up the last bite of his peach cobbler.
She leaned back in her chair and sighed. “That was delicious. I haven’t had a meal like that in ages.”
Before Dean could answer, Shorty walked out of the kitchen and stopped at their table. “I put a tray with a fresh pot of coffee and some cups on the front porch. It’s a nice night, and the sky is full of stars. Go out there and relax. It’s been a rough day.”
“Let me help you,” Gwen said as she rose and started to stack the dishes.
Shorty shook his head and took the plate she held from her hand. “I’ve got this. You go on and keep Dean company. I’ll clean up the kitchen. Then I’ll head out to the bunkhouse. I have to be up early to cook breakfast.”
Dean pushed back from the table and stood. “Thanks, Shorty. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Good night, Shorty. It’s wonderful seeing you again,” Gwen said and turned toward the door.
She was almost to it when she heard the cook’s voice. “It’s good seeing you, too, Miss Gwen. It just ain’t been the same around here since you quit coming. It’s good to have you back.”
She felt her face grow warm, but didn’t turn and look at him as she headed out of the dining room, Dean right behind her. When she stepped onto the porch, she walked to the railing, braced her arms on it and stared up at the stars. Dean stopped beside her and directed his gaze to the sky also.
“I’ve never seen the stars so bright,” she said. “They look like jewels twinkling in the sky.”
His shoulder brushed hers as he leaned forward. “They’re always brighter here in the mountains. Since we’re not in town, they don’t have to compete with the streetlights and the harsh glare of all the neon signs. Then when the sky’s clear like tonight, it makes the heavens really light up.” He lifted his arm and pointed. “Look at the stars in the Big Dipper. We might not be able to see them if we were looking at them in a city.”
His voice held a note of reverence, and it reminded her of the young man he’d been when they’d first met. He wasn’t jaded by his job then, and he had enjoyed living his life to the fullest.
“You’re happy here, aren’t you, Dean?” she murmured.
He nodded but didn’t take his eyes off the sky. “I found myself again here. I came to understand how much God loved me, and I completely turned my life over to Him.” Dean darted a quick glance at her and then back to the stars. “I only wish I’d found Him sooner. If I had, maybe I could have saved our marriage. But I didn’t, and all I can do now is move forward.”
She didn’t say anything for a moment. “I’m glad I got to see how happy you are. I can go back to New York knowing that you’re all right.”
He straightened and turned to her. “When you go back, do you think we might be able to stay in touch? Maybe just talk on the phone every once in a while? Or maybe I could come to New York and spend a weekend sometime. I’ve never been there, and you could show me the sights.”
Panic rushed through her, and she grasped the railing tighter to keep him from seeing how her hands were trembling. She bit down on her lip and closed her eyes for a brief moment before she took a deep breath and turned to him.
“Don’t do this, Dean.”
“Don’t do what?” he asked.
“I know seeing me today has been a shock to you, and I’m thankful you were there to save my life. But you need to understand that whatever we had is over. Our marriage ended five years ago, and it’s impossible to change that. You have your life here, and I have mine in New York.”
He swallowed and stared into her eyes. “I’m sorry, Gwen. I won’t do anything to make you uncomfortable again.”
“Thank you.”
He pursed his lips and sighed as he glanced at the coffeepot on the table. “I guess the coffee’s cold by now. I’ll take it inside. It’s time I was getting to bed anyway. We get up early around here in the morning, and I have a lot to do tomorrow.”
She nodded. “I’m sure you do, and I don’t want to be in your way. If you have an extra horse that isn’t going on a trail ride tomorrow, I’d like to borrow it. I remember a beautiful waterfall in the mountains back of the ranch. I’d like to ride up there and see if there are any spots that would be good locations for us to use.”
“I’ll see that you have a horse, but I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to go alone. I’ll get one of the staff to ride along with you.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
He picked up the tray holding the coffeepot and cups and stared at her. “You were nearly killed twice today. Please don’t fight me on this. I’m only thinking of your safety.”
She hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Okay. I have to confess I’d feel better having someone along.”
“Good. Now follow me, and I’ll show you to your room. Shorty told me he’d made it up for you while we were eating supper.”
“I’ll be right there,” she said, then turned back around to look up at the stars.
Tears pooled in her eyes as Dean walked into the house. She’d never felt so guilty as she did right now. Dean didn’t deserve what she was doing by keeping his daughter a secret from him. But how could she tell him?
Even with the horrible events of the day, being with him had been the happiest she’d felt in a long time. Earlier he had looked at he
r with such hope that maybe they could heal the past, but she couldn’t let that happen. Maybe she was being selfish, but she didn’t think she could stand to see his gentle look turn to one of hatred toward her.
She wiped at the tears in her eyes and straightened her shoulders. She’d made her decision and now had to live with it. The best thing for her to do right now was finish her location project and get out of the Smokies as fast as she could.
SIX
Dean was finishing his second cup of coffee the next morning when Gwen entered the dining room. He rose from his chair and studied her as she walked toward him. To look at her no one would suspect that she had almost been killed twice the day before. Her eyes sparkled this morning after getting a good night’s sleep, and from the pink flush of her cheeks he thought the fresh mountain air must be agreeing with her.
She smiled as she came toward him in the deserted room, and a pang of regret thudded in his heart. Having her here was the best thing that could have happened to him at this time, but he knew she’d soon be gone. He had to make sure he did nothing to make her uncomfortable. That didn’t mean, however, he wasn’t going to keep trying to convince her to stay in touch after she returned to New York.
He held her chair as she smiled up at him and slipped into it. “Where are all the guests?” she asked.
“Out enjoying a day in the mountains. Breakfast is over at nine o’clock around here.”
She stared down at her watch. “I guess I slept in longer than I meant to.” She arched an eyebrow and directed her gaze to his cup of coffee. “It looks like somebody is still hanging around, though.”
He chuckled and took another sip. “I was waiting for you. Shorty said to let him know when you were ready to eat. He has pancakes and bacon for you.”
The kitchen door opened, and Shorty bustled into the room with a coffeepot. “And I have them cooking right now. I brought you a cup of coffee to get you started.”
In a Killer’s Sights Page 6