“Wow, that was a wonderful meal, honey. Now I’m full and feeling kind of sleepy. You mind if I turn in for the night?” asked her dad. He stood and took the bowl over the sink, rinsed it and then placed it in the dishwasher.
“What, no game of cards?” She knew how he’d always loved a game of Gin Rummy or Poker after they’d eaten supper.
He smiled. “I haven’t forgotten, but how about I take a rain check until tomorrow?”
She knew he’d had a long day. He was older now, which was one reason she was glad she was back helping him in any way she could. One day this ranch would be hers, and that of the children she’d hopefully have. That was one of the reasons she’d agreed to Ben’s deal. Dubois Ranch belonged to the Dubois family and no one else.
“Okay, and sweet dreams,” she said rinsing a few more dishes.
“You too, honey.”
April continued to load the dishwasher. She’d had quite the privileged life for the last few years, but for some strange reason that a lot of women probably wouldn’t understand, she enjoyed doing her own cooking and cleaning. Guess she was a natural born rancher’s wife. Yeah, if she ever found one to marry. She hung up the dish towel and yawned.
Maybe she’d turn in for the night too. Turning off the kitchen light, she headed up the stairs and along the hallway. She walked into her old room.
Nothing about it had changed. Her dad had kept things exactly the same knowing that as she’d promised him, one day soon, she’d be back and it would seem like she’d never been away and nothing of the last few years had really happened.
April took off her clothes and hung them in the closet. The one with the shelf that leaned to the left. Her father might be a damn good rancher, but carpentry skills weren’t his strong suit.
She slipped on her t-shirt and walked over to the bed. She got under the quilt. Like she had been for the last few years, she was all alone.
April rolled over onto her side. Alone, but not lonely, because she had thoughts of Cade in her mind: of them making love, and holding one another until the early hours of the morning.
Her husband hadn’t done any of those things, but that was just fine… another reason she’d agreed to his suggestion as a way to solve her father’s problem. Even when Ben had brushed his hand down her back and butt when they’d entertained friends so no one suspected about their true relationship, she’d imagined it was Cade doing the touching, and it had made the whole thing much more tolerable.
Chapter Three
“We’re going to have to find you a wife.”
Cade smiled at Eloise as she placed the platter––yes, platter, not plate––of sausages, hash browns, biscuits and gravy in front of him. When he could get this much food, and for under $5, including all the coffee he could drink, why would he need a woman to cook him breakfast? An image of April went through his mind. Not how she’d looked when he’d first set eyes on her, but how she’d looked when he’d seen her in town almost twenty-four hours ago. It was an image he’d not been able to shake.
“You’d miss me if I didn’t come in here ever again.” He winked at her as she topped up his coffee. Cade cut off a piece of sausage with the side of his fork, and then slid it through the thick country gravy before popping it into his mouth. He’d always loved food but since April had been gone, he used it as a substitute for other needs in his life. Needs like sex. Longest he’d ever gone without being between a woman’s outspread legs.
“I suppose you’ve already heard that April Dubois is back in Pine Creek.”
Cade swallowed. “Yes, I did. In fact, I saw her on Main Street just yesterday.”
Guess people still think of her as Dubois and not Parker.
“Guess you know why she’s back,” said Eloise.
Cade wiped his mouth with the corner of the red bandana the café used as napkins.
“No, but I guessed that she and her husband might be taking over running the ranch.”
Eloise put the coffee carafe on the table and put her knee on the chair opposite him, leaning slightly his way as if preparing to whisper in his ear. The lady loved gossip. In fact, fifty percent of Pine Creek’s rumors originated in her café.
“Nope, she and he are no longer man and wife.”
Cade bit his bottom lip, wondering if he was dreaming. Maybe seeing her again had sparked something in his brain and he’d dreamed about her divorcing Ben. However, if he was dreaming, the food tasted pretty damn good.
“You sure?” he asked.
“I’m positive. Jon Newly told me. Patrick told him when he was in having his hair cut at the weekend.”
He pinched his arm, just to make sure it wasn’t a dream before he got his hopes up only to wake up and realize she was still Mrs. Ben Parker.
Ouch, he’d been a little too heavy with his fingers. Definitely not a dream. April was single again. However, that didn’t mean he was going to pursue her. Hell, he wasn’t getting hurt by her again, if she went running back to Mr. Parker after realizing she’d made a mistake coming home. Women often did that.
“I know what you’re thinking,” said Eloise. “Once bitten twice shy, but you’re perfect for one another.”
“Eloise, she chose another man. I don’t think she thought that.”
“Something wasn’t right about their union.”
“He had money, a nice house in Chicago…need I go on.”
“April Dubois was never the sort of person who’d marry a man just for his bank account or possessions. Sure, her uppity mother was that type, but not April. April’s always been like her dad. A home-grown Montana girl. Things began going terribly wrong for Patrick Dubois the minute April’s mother stepped into his life.”
Patrick… the town knew him by that name, but few people besides Cade knew that his real name was Pierre and he didn’t want folks thinking he was all fancy and high and mighty. Yeah, Eloise was right: he was a down to earth, sixth-generation cowboy and his daughter was the apple fallen from that tree. April’s mom had been long gone by the time Cade began working for Patrick, but he’d heard from the older cowboys that she was a bitch with a capital B. The only thing April had inherited from her was her beauty.
“So what are you going to do about it?” asked Eloise. His food had grown cold but right now he didn’t care. “About what?”
“Don’t play coy, Mr. Mallory.”
“If you must know, I intend to go and see April on my way back to the ranch.”
Eloise winked at him.
“And no, I don’t intend to pick up where I left off and…”
He was going to say and have sex with her. How many times had he fantasized about them getting horizontal again?
Eloise winked again. “You bring her in here for breakfast and it’s on the house.” She turned and left.
April and Ben Parker, in splits-ville… He sprinkled more pepper on his biscuits and gravy. He wouldn’t brag and say he’d told her so, but he had. He’d known from the minute he’d met Parker that he wasn’t the right man for April.
There was only one man that fit that bill and it was him, Cade Mallory. Why hadn’t she seen that? They were two peas in a pod.
Cade dabbed the corners of his mouth and leaned back on the chair, taking a breather from his breakfast, letting the biscuits digest before he tackled the remaining sausages.
Proceed, but do it with caution.
****
April pulled the car over to the shoulder. She’d had every intention of turning onto the road that lead to the Taylor ranch. Now the Cade Mallory ranch. Fear had washed over her, forcing her to park and get her composure back.
She hated what she’d done to him. In all honesty she never thought she’d have to face him again. He told her he couldn’t stick around a place that held so many memories of her. When her father had told her he’d simply quit and left town, she thought that was the last she’d ever hear or see of him.
In her heart she’d almost wanted to tell him the truth, beg him to wait f
or her, but she couldn’t. She had an agreement with Ben and she couldn’t expect a man like Cade to wait for her forever. But, fate was a funny creature and here they were both in the same town again. She had to deal with her feelings, put right what she’d done to him, and tell him the truth. She didn’t care what Ben had drafted into their contract, it was time that Cade knew what really happened. Turning on the radio, she decided to listen to some music and hopefully it would relax her.
You look great, Cade.
So happy to hear that you bought this place.
She squeezed her eyes tight shut. How phony did that sound? Nothing like the real April.
Cade, I’m sorry for what happened.
Sounded even worse. It was true, but it didn’t sound like she truly meant it. And she most definitely did.
Putting the gears into reverse, she backed down the road and turned onto the one leading to his ranch house.
Better to get it over and done with, say hello, say sorry, go back to her dad’s ranch and hopefully them running into one another would no longer be awkward or with any luck, that frequent.
She’d been to the Taylor place more times than she could remember. She’d gone to school with their youngest daughter, Tanya and often had sleep-overs at their house. April wondered if Cade had altered the house in any way, and if the sketches she and Tanya had scribbled onto her bedroom wall were still there.
The dust spun around the truck, setting up a haze. She’d call at the house first, but most likely Cade would be outside doing chores like mending or painting fences, even moving cattle, he’d been a born natural at anything related to running a ranch.
Pulling up on the driveway, she looked around for any sign of him. No evidence of a truck, but it could be he’d driven it onto the actual ranch. She took a deep breath and got out of the truck before she lost her nerve again.
This has to be done, it has to be done became her mantra as she headed toward the front door.
She knocked on it, her mouth going dry as she waited for him to answer.
Still no response. Obviously, Cade was hard at work on the ranch. She’d leave the truck on his driveway and walk down to the stables and see if she could find him.
Putting her dark glasses back on, she headed to the left of the property, knowing it as well as she did her father’s ranch. In fact, if she stood on the hill to the right, she probably could see him out in one of the pastures.
Going down the hill, she spotted the stables and barns ahead. He hadn’t changed a thing. A man walked out of one of the barns and for a second she thought it might be Cade, but this was an older, shorter guy.
“Hi, I’m looking for Cade Mallory.”
“Cade went into town to pick up some supplies.”
“Shit.”
She hadn’t meant to say that out loud, but she was hoping they’d get this over and done with today so she wouldn’t have to find the nerve to do it a second time.
“You know when he’ll be back?”
“I think late afternoon. He said he had an extra errand to run while he was out and about.”
Why did he pick today?
“Okay, I’ll stop back some other time.”
“All righty, I’ll tell him you stopped by.”
“You know who I am?”
“Sure do. When Cade interviewed me I went inside his house and he has a photo of the two of you on the shelf above his desk.”
Chapter Four
It shouldn’t have been coffee he’d downed at breakfast, but beer, or maybe even a double shot of whisky.
Both his hands were shaking. Trembling so badly he could hardly turn the steering wheel to head onto the road leading to the Dubois ranch. He was sensible enough to know that the shakes weren’t caused by caffeine overload. Truth be told, he was as nervous as hell about seeing her face to face again. Spotting the huge oak tree on the left, Cade remembered the two of them sitting under it, eating the picnic April had put together for them.
She’d been a great cook. Sort of forced into the role of woman around the house when her dad was suddenly made a single parent. Cade looked at the tree again and smiled. He’d finally made love to her under its huge canopy. Yeah, they’d been sneaky and done the deed under the blanket just in case anyone saw them.
“Have you ever had sex with an employer’s daughter before?” she’d asked him as he’d driven his finger into her pussy, realizing it was as tight and sweet as he’d imagined.
“Never, and not his son either.”
They’d both burst out laughing before he’d slid between her legs and pushed his cock into the warm, wet place that was sheer heaven.
“I’ve never fucked outside before,” she’d whispered in his ear as he’d thrust inside her, hoping it was the first of many times they’d make love, but then Ben Parker had strolled into her life.
He bit his lip, thinking maybe he should have just punched the guy on the nose and told him April was his girl, but he’d lost his nerve and he’d lost the girl too. He’d never do that again.
Up ahead he saw the stables and house, taking him back to the first day of work, and the first time he’d set eyes on April. He’d never believed in love at first sight until that day, and after that he’d argue with anyone who insisted there was no such thing.
He pulled into the small lot at the end of the road that led up to the ranch, and the place where the workers left their vehicles. He sat for a while looking around, wondering if some of the cowboys he used to work alongside were still with Patrick. He’d loved working here, and not just because of the boss’ daughter. Patrick had been a great and decent employer. Fair to everyone, and a guy who made sure everyone had fun and that working conditions were as good as they could be. He’d set the standard to which Cade now ran his ranch and treated his own employees.
Getting out of the truck, he knew if he didn’t do this right this minute he’d chicken out. He walked over to the main area where the stables and barns were.
“Well, would you look who’s here.”
Cade smiled when he saw Steve, the ranch foreman to his left. Cade slapped him on the back and they shook hands.
“I heard you bought the Taylor ranch,” said Steve.
“Yep, got my work cut out for me now. Got it cheap because the place needs an overhaul, but I’m getting there.”
“I always said you’d be great running your own place one day. So what brings you here?”
“Thought I’d stop by and say hi to Patrick, as we’re now neighbors.”
That had come across as plain stupid. They’d been neighbors for close to four months and Cade so far hadn’t thought of dropping by. Plus, Steve probably guessed it had something to do with April returning home. All the other cowboys knew how he felt about her––it was the reason they didn’t make plays for her. Cowboy code: you never went after another man’s woman, or there was hell to pay.
“I just saw him heading toward the house.”
“Great, I’ll try and catch up with him… it was good seeing you again, too.”
“Don’t be a stranger and maybe we can go for a beer one night.”
“Sure, and feel free to drop by my ranch any time you want.”
“I will definitely do that just to see what you’re doing to the place.”
Steve walked away, leaving Cade almost unable to put one foot in front of the other. He’d be seeing her in a couple of minutes. He knew that for sure, because that’s how long it took to walk up to the house from this very spot.
Willing his legs to move, he headed up the walkway, passing through the middle of the shrubs to the path leading up to the front door. He took off his cowboy hat, tidied his hair and then put the hat back on, coughed and lifted his hand to knock on the door, but froze again.
Come on…you can do this.
He knocked, hoping it hadn’t come across as too loud.
No answer. Cade was about to turn and walk away, wondering if he’d have the nerve to do this all over again, when Pa
trick opened the door.
“Cade, how wonderful to see you… Come in, son.”
Cade removed his hat and stepped across the threshold, wiping his boots on the mat.
“I’ve been meaning to stop by your ranch and say hi, but things just got so busy,” said Patrick. He hoped that sounded sincere.
“And I should have done the same, sir.”
Without warning, Patrick threw his arms around Cade’s shoulders and hugged him.
“Sorry that you left here so swiftly, but I know why you did.”
He pulled away and Cade nodded, picking at the edging of his hat that had begun to fray. “No disrespect to you, sir, but you’re not the real reason I’m here. I mean, not the person that I specifically came to see.”
Patrick smiled. “First of all, would you stop calling me sir? You don’t work for me anymore, and even when you did, you know I didn’t think any of you guys needed to address me so formally.”
“Okay, si…Patrick.”
“Secondly, I’m sure you heard that April’s back living with me because her marriage to Ben ended.”
Cade nodded. “Is she around? I thought maybe we could break the ice and it wouldn’t be so awkward if we ran into one another in town.”
“She thought the same thing and I’m guessing she’s at your place right now. She told me she’d stop by on her way back from running errands.”
Cade laughed. Typical and ironic. Both thinking the same thing, but not getting their timing right.
“You want to stay and have a beer with me while you wait for her?”
“Nope, I have to be getting back to the ranch… lots of chores to do.”
It was true, his list of to-dos got longer each day, including knocking down a few of the old barns.
“I’ll tell her you stopped by. Maybe you should give her a call next time you want to stop by just to make sure she’s here. You know April… she’s always out and about.”
“Yeah, I guess I should have done that the first time around, but I wanted to see her in person first. In fact, let me give you my number and maybe she can call me.”
The Taylor Ranch: Cade Page 2