by R. C. Ryan
Willow sighed, the only signal that she’d had another hope dashed.
Ash gave a slow shake of his head. “This nephew must have been a real thorn in Abe’s side to get that kind of treatment. I wonder if he’d been mistreating or neglecting the old man. Has he been arrested?”
“Not yet. The police are calling him a ‘person of interest,’ but there were no other relatives, and Abe had no known enemies, so I’d say it’s pretty open and shut. It wouldn’t be the first time a family feud heated up and the relative flew into a rage and shot one of his own.”
Willow mused aloud, “I wonder how the nephew learned that he’d been disinherited?”
Mad shook his head. “I don’t know. Maybe Abe wanted him to know, in order to make the punishment even harsher.”
“That could be.” She set aside her fork. “Who will inherit Abe’s ranch now?”
Mad shrugged. “Ira wasn’t sure, but he said Abe had recently written his lawyer into his will.”
“I’m glad it won’t have to go to auction.” Willow glanced around the table at her family. “There have been too many ranches falling into bankruptcy lately.”
“You can say that again.” Out of habit, Mad slammed his hand down on the arm of the scooter, as he’d always done on his wheelchair, and the scooter lurched backward with a jolt, before Mad managed to bring it under control.
That tiny incident broke the tension and had everyone laughing.
Looking sheepish, Mad shot a look around the table. “Guess I need some practice on this thing.”
Juliet was quick to soothe. “You’re doing amazingly well, Mad. You and your wheelchair were together a long time. But now this scooter is allowing you precious freedom.”
“That it is, lassie. That it is.” His smile was back as he turned to the others. “Since Juliet has been working with me, she thinks I’m ready to ride old Scout again. And she even thinks I’ll be able to fly, as soon as I have a bit more therapy.”
“Oh, Mad.” Willow rounded the table to give him a hug. “That’s wonderful news.” She turned to Juliet. “Now that you’re a certified therapist, you’ve been an angel of mercy to spend so much time helping Mad.”
“And to celebrate…” Myrna was out of her chair and passing around thick slices of chocolate torte layered with a rich cream filling and milk-chocolate frosting.
The older woman paused beside Cara’s chair. “A big slice or a smaller one?”
Cara forced herself out of her thoughts and managed a smile. “Nothing, thanks. I think I’ve eaten more tonight than I have in days.”
“You don’t cook, lassie?” Mad paused with his fork halfway to his mouth.
“She’s a great cook, Mad.” Whit was quick to defend her. “You know the kind of boxed and canned stuff we stock in the range shacks? She could open a box of this, a can of that, and turn it into a feast fit for a king.”
“You don’t say?” Mad winked at Brady, who turned to study Whit and Cara more carefully. “Sounds like your stay up in the highlands wasn’t all hard work and dreary nights, lad.”
Whit flushed and happened to catch Brady’s look, which changed from surprise to sudden insight.
Brady wasn’t the only one who was aware of something deeper here.
Willow, watching her son’s body language, surprised the others by saying, “Cara, if you don’t need to be anywhere soon, I hope you’ll agree to stay on here awhile.”
“Oh, thank you. I’d…love to. But only if I can earn my keep in some way.” She glanced at the two little boys seated between Griff and Juliet. “I’m really great with children. Maybe I could be a nanny?”
Juliet exchanged a loving look with Griff before turning to Cara with a smile. “It’s wonderful to know I can count on you in an emergency, Cara. But the truth is, Griff and I love being with the boys all the time. When they’re not out in the fields with Griff, they’re in the barn with me while I do my therapy classes.”
Cara looked over with interest. “What kind of therapy?”
“I call it horse therapy. It began with a group of veterans learning to use disabled muscles by riding gentle horses. Now it’s grown into something much more. Griff and I call our place Hope Ranch, and we’ve opened it to anyone with a desire to improve their lives by riding, roping, and even learning to drive handicap-ready equipment.”
“Which is why I’m now ready to ride my old horse again,” Mad added. “I’ve been working with Juliet for over a month, and my life has improved so much, I feel like a young man again.”
“That’s wonderful.” Cara turned to Juliet. “You must be so proud of your work.”
Griff reached over to squeeze his wife’s hand.
Juliet beamed. “I’m proud of all of us. We’ve come so far.”
Myrna, who’d been enjoying her torte in silence, suddenly asked Cara, “How would you feel about helping me here, especially in the kitchen?”
Everyone turned to look at her.
Mad raised a brow. “Are you thinking of kicking me out of my own kitchen?”
Myrna smiled. “I’m thinking, since you’re going to be riding Scout and taking the plane up soon, you won’t have time to be a full-time cook anymore. And with all my household chores, I’d welcome some help, especially in the kitchen.” She added slyly, “Especially since Whit boasted that she’s some kind of magician with food.”
Mad clapped his hands. “Say yes, lassie. I’m more than ready to turn over my apron. And heaven knows Myrna will be lost without someone to take my place.”
“Praise heaven for small favors,” Myrna deadpanned before turning to Cara. “Though I hate to ever admit when Maddock MacKenzie is right, this time I’ll give him his due. I’ll be lost without some help, Cara. It would mean a lot to me.”
Everyone turned to Cara, whose smile was answer enough.
“Thank you for that vote of confidence. I hope I won’t disappoint all of you.”
Willow stood and hurried around the table to embrace the young woman. “Cara, don’t you worry about disappointing us. Having you here will make such a difference.” She then turned to her father-in-law and bent down to kiss his cheek. “I’m just delighted that you’re reclaiming your life.”
“Aye, lassie.” His voice was rough, and he was forced to swallow before saying, “I never thought I’d see this day. But thanks to Juliet’s bullying, I’m learning that anything is possible, as long as we have the will to work for it.”
Myrna walked up beside Cara and placed a generous slice of torte in front of her.
Cara blinked. “I thought—”
Myrna interrupted. “Now it’s a true celebration. I hope your appetite has perked up some. Welcome to the family.”
With a laugh of delight, Cara dug into her dessert.
Cara and Whit climbed the stairs together. When she stopped at the door of her suite of rooms, he surprised her by asking, “Mind if I step in?”
Seeing the wary look that stole over her, he held up a hand. “Just for a minute.”
“Okay.” She opened the door and he stepped inside behind her before closing it and leaning against it.
“Is it just a coincidence that your wild story, which you claimed you’d dreamed up overnight, was set in Red Rock?”
She looked away.
He touched her hand, then, feeling the familiar sexual tingle, just as quickly withdrew it. “I’m not trying to scare you or intimidate you, Cara. And I’m certainly not accusing you of lying. It’s just…” He took a breath. “It’s just that your story was so improbable, I immediately dismissed it as your clever way of holding off any more questions.” He paused, watching her reaction. “Then, when I learned about your treatment at the hands of Jared Billingham, I thought I understood why you were running scared.”
He saw the shudder that passed through her at the mention of her wealthy tormentor and hated himself for having to bring it up again. As gently as possible, he said, “Just tell me. Was your story about the encounter in Red Rock fa
ct or fiction?”
Her voice was little more than a whisper. “Fact.”
“All of it?”
She looked at him then. Stared fully into his eyes, and her own were filled with such misery, he could feel his heart aching for her.
“I think so. At the time I was so scared, all I could do was run. Now, when I look back at it, I wonder how much of it was real and how much of it was”—she shrugged—“my crazy imagination.”
He hadn’t meant to, but seeing her like this brought out his need to soothe. To protect.
He gathered her into his arms and pressed his lips to her temple. Against a tangle of hair he whispered, “I’ll talk to Ira. Tell him what you saw, or think you saw. Maybe that will be the end of it. Or maybe he’ll want to talk to you.”
He felt her pull back. In her wide eyes, the fear was back.
“Don’t worry, Cara. I don’t want you to worry about a thing.”
“But I do. I will. What if he thinks it’s the ravings of a silly female? What if—”
Whit lowered his head and kissed her. It began as an attempt to reassure her. A simple touch of mouth to mouth. But the moment they came together, everything changed.
His big hands dragged her closer. So close he could feel every quivering breath she took.
He took the kiss deeper, hungry for more, until it became a desperation that had him digging his fingers into her hair, while his eager, avid mouth roamed her face, kissing her cheek, her ear, the curve of her brow. As he brushed his lips over her eye, he felt the moisture of tears.
He lifted his head. “I’m sorry, Cara. I’m so rough. I didn’t mean…”
His tenderness was her undoing, and the tears streamed down her cheeks.
Burying her face in her hands, she turned away from him. “Now look what you’ve done. I never cry. And I’ve cried more tears since meeting you than I’ve cried in my lifetime.”
Desperate to soothe, he laid a big hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry. I’ll go now. Please don’t cry anymore.”
She turned and clutched his sleeve. “I’m not crying because…” She swallowed. “This isn’t about…” She blinked rapidly to stem the tide. “I guess it’s just everything. Being afraid, and then finding you, and your wonderful family, and…” She dropped her hand to her side. “This is all so new to me. I’m so mixed up. I just need some time to get used to…kind people.”
He touched a hand to her cheek.
“Okay. Good night, Cara.”
He opened the door and turned back to her with a half-smile. “I’m glad you’re staying.”
Before she could say a word, the door closed and he was gone.
Alone in her room, Cara was too agitated to settle. She walked to the window and stared at the hills, veiled in darkness. Over their peaks, a full moon glowed bright orange in a midnight sky.
Earlier, listening to Mad’s account of the old rancher who’d been shot, she’d experienced a deep feeling of dread. Could this be the same old man who’d been threatened by Suit-and-Tie? Or was she allowing her writer’s wild imagination to steer her in the wrong direction?
Her gram always used to say that Cara was either blessed to escape into an imaginary world of adventure or cursed to see monsters and villains around every corner. And it was so true.
She’d covered all her childhood fears by conjuring an imaginary girl and her horse who could fly around the world, saving those in need. In time, she’d begun to believe she could go anywhere, do anything, and no harm could touch her.
This past year had been a challenge. But meeting Whit, and now his family, gave her hope for a fresh start.
She wrapped her arms around herself and began to pace. Oh, how she hoped the killer of that old man in Red Rock had been the rancher’s nephew. Then she would be able to breathe freely again, knowing the man with the evil eyes had been magnified in her mind.
Hearing the silence settle over the household, she began undressing and getting ready for bed.
For so long now she’d been feeling adrift. But now, knowing she could stay here in this isolated place, surrounded by this large, noisy, loving family, she was beginning to believe she could actually relax and enjoy life for a while. Just until she figured out where to go from here.
So much had happened to her. The painful incident with Jared had shattered her confidence.
Witnessing what she thought was a deadly threat to both that old rancher and to her had her running scared.
Having Whit storm into that cabin in the middle of nowhere had been, for her, the final straw. And then, after blowing in like the blizzard raging outside, he’d turned into a fun, funny, interesting companion.
Companion. The very word had her shivering as she climbed between the covers.
Whit MacKenzie was hot, sexy, and the greatest temptation she’d ever had to fight. If it hadn’t been for her experience with Jared, she might have welcomed his attentions and acted on them. But she was still sorting out way too many things right now and questioning her own judgment.
She intended to take things one baby step at a time.
Still, it would be so easy to give in to the pleasure he offered.
She fell asleep dreaming about rolling around in this big, soft bed, making mad, passionate love with the sexiest cowboy she’d ever known.
Chapter Ten
The sun was just rising when Brady sat on the backhoe and began working the big claw through layers of mud. Whit stood at the gaping hole in the ground with a shovel over his shoulder.
“Okay, son. That’s as far as I can go without doing damage. Give it a try.”
At Brady’s shout, Whit dropped into the deep hole and began shoveling the last layers of muck before looking up. “It’s broken.”
“That’s what I was afraid of.” Brady climbed down and jumped into the hole beside Whit. “We’re going to have to set a whole new pipe in here before this entire road collapses.”
Whit nodded. “And we’ll have to work fast. There’s more rain coming.”
Brady dug out his cell phone. “Ridley. Brady Storm here. How soon can your guys deliver a ten-inch culvert?” He listened before saying, “Yeah. It’s our main road out to the highway, and with more rain coming, I need this now.”
In an aside to Whit, he muttered, “It’s not looking good.”
He listened some more before saying, “Great. Thanks, Ridley. I owe you.”
He dropped his phone back in his pocket. “They’ll be here before supper. They’re thinking around three or four o’clock. So for now, it looks like we may as well clean up and see about having some breakfast.”
“I’ve been thinking about food for hours.”
Brady clapped a muddy hand on Whit’s shoulder. “I know what you mean, son. The days start early on a ranch.”
As they walked toward the barn, Brady said casually, “Your girl’s a cute little thing.”
“She’s not my girl.” Whit paused. “I mean…we just met.”
“And spent some time together up in the hills.”
“Well, yeah. She was squatting there…”
Brady stopped and turned to face him. “She was living there? In the range shack?”
Whit nodded. “Yeah. Actually she was hiding out.”
“Is she in some kind of trouble?”
“She got herself into a jam with a smooth-talking guy.”
“Where’s she from?”
“Minerva.”
Brady squinted his eyes. “I know of it. Smaller even than Copper Creek. Spit and you’re through it.”
Whit started grinning. “Yeah. That’s how Cara described it. Anyway, she was holed up in our shack and I guess I gave her quite a scare when I showed up out of the blue.”
“Yeah. That face of yours would be enough to scare any girl senseless.”
Whit punched Brady’s arm. “I managed to turn on the charm.”
“I just bet you did. And now what? How long is she staying?”
“I don’t th
ink she has any place to go.”
“She’s homeless?”
“As far as I can tell. She grew up with a grandmother, who’s now dead.”
“Parents?”
Whit shook his head. “Her ma’s dead. Doesn’t know her father.”
Brady took his time digesting that. “But she’s still standing.”
“Yeah. And damned independent. She left this in the cupboard up at the range shack.” He handed over the envelope.
Brady read the note, then counted the money inside. “Fifty-seven dollars and twenty-five cents? Isn’t that an odd amount of money?”
“She’d put fifty in first. I think that was all she had left, and she intended to leave it there when she left. Then she beat me at Scrabble for seven dollars and twenty-five cents and must have added it when I wasn’t looking.”
Brady smiled at Whit. “I’m liking that young woman more all the time.”
“Yeah.” Whit returned the foreman’s smile as he tucked away the envelope. “A lot of strikes against her, but, like you said, she’s still standing. And determined to earn her way. I guess that’s what I like about her, too.”
“You?” Brady shot him a knowing look. “That may be one of the things you like about her now, but I’m guessing long before you learned about her background, you happened to notice a whole lot more. Like those dimples when she smiles, and those big green eyes, and—”
“Okay.” Whit lifted both hands. “Just so you know, she may be easy to look at, but she’s also a really good person.”
“You don’t have to convince me, son.”
The two men were both grinning as they stowed their gear in the barn and headed toward the ranch house.
Myrna stepped into the kitchen and filled a drawer with clean towels. “As soon as I finish parceling out this first load of laundry, I can give you a hand, Cara.”