by Taryn Plendl
Silas - The Sutton Ranch Series, Book1
Copyright 2017 Taryn Plendl
Written by Taryn Plendl
First Edition
All rights reserved as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976. No part of these publications may be reproduced, distributed, transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior permission of the Author. For information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact the publisher.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
To my mom.
Thank you for loving me unconditionally, even when you wanted to choke the crap out of me.
You are the mother I strive to be.
Copyright
Dedication
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
Epilogue
About the Author
Acknowledgements
Also by Taryn Plendl
M I R A B E L L E
The wheels of the plane touching the tarmac startled me awake and jerked me slightly in my seat. My gasp resulted in a strange look from the older man sitting next to me, but I couldn’t muster the strength to care. Now that I was back in Colorado, much more important things needed my focus.
He’s gone. What will I do without you, Dalton?
The thought hit me like a sledgehammer to the head. How was I supposed to go on? My brother was all the family I’d had left, and I hadn’t even been able to say goodbye. The physical ache in the center of my chest was almost more than I could bear.
The plane came to a final stop. At the ding of the seatbelt sign, everyone stood and gathered their belongings as we waited to deplane. My feet propelled me forward behind the people from my row. We moved like a herd of cattle, aimlessly following the leader until reaching the terminal. After a brief glance at the signs, I made my way toward baggage claim.
“Si said to have you pack for an extended stay.” The ranch hand who’d called to break the news of Dalton’s death, had given me specific instructions.
S I L A S
Silas Anderson was a part of my past I didn’t have the energy to deal with right now. As far as I was concerned, he could go fuck himself.
“Excuse me, ma’am.” The deep voice with a slight southern drawl took me by surprise, as I stepped off the escalator.
The first thing I noticed was a tall man in a button-up shirt and Wranglers. His brown hair was not quite dark chocolate, but not as light as milk chocolate either. Flecks of silver in his deep brown eyes made them seem so very serious. His skin was tanned like only those who worked outside could achieve.
The resemblance to the type of apparel my brother had worn made me smile. The comfortable work clothes stood out among the stuffy, stiff suits of the harried business travelers. His restless fingers alternated between running through his short brown hair and strangling the life out of his poor cowboy hat, and his boots scuffed the polished floor. He was obviously uncomfortable. I couldn’t blame him.
“Short end of the stick, huh?” I smirked.
“Pardon?” His eyebrows drew together in confusion, his lips frowning slightly.
“Let me guess, you’re here to take me to Sutton Ranch?” I asked as I walked to the carousel where the conveyor belt spit out bags. The cowboy fell into step with me, his long legs carrying him one stride for every two of mine.
“Yes, ma’am.” Though his voice was matter-of fact, humor glinted in his eyes, warming his features. The thump of the tumbling luggage brought my attention back to the revolving belt.
My palm grazed the handle of the first bag mere seconds before he plucked it from my grasp and set it on the ground. Rolling my eyes only made him laugh. The second was taken from me before it was even off the carousel. His presence was like a fly buzzing around my head. Raising my eyebrows at him in challenge, I turned back, determined to get the last one without his help. Before I got a grip on it, he hoisted the heaviest one over my head. Damn matching luggage. I never stood a chance.
“I don’t need you to carry my things,” I ground out, digging my fists into my hips and glaring at him. It was bad enough I’d had to come home and deal with everything without a chance to prepare, but I sure as shit wasn’t going to be treated with kid gloves.
Paying no mind that he towered above me, I squared my shoulders. I was aching for a fight suddenly, and unfortunately for Silas’s ranch hand, he was going to get it. He didn’t even falter, and I sure as hell wasn’t prepared for the slight lift of his lips as he stared back at me.
“What are you smiling at?” I demanded.
“Dalton.”
His quiet response took the wind out of me. My lips parted, and my breath shuddered. The fist I pressed to my chest didn’t ease the ache.
“I’m sorry, ma’am,” he stammered, “but right then, your stubbornness, I saw a glimpse of your brother in you. Caroline told me you’re like a mini version of him, and she was right.”
He grabbed all three bags and carried them toward the exit. When I finally caught up to him, sympathy edged his smile and sadness filled his eyes. Sudden remorse for being so harsh smacked me.
“Welcome home, ma’am.”
“Thank you, and please call me Mira.” My voice was much softer than before. Taking my anger with Silas or my sadness out on this man was pointless. Hell, if I were in his shoes, well, boots, I would feel like I’d been punished by having to pick me up.
He hefted my bags into the backseat of the extended cab truck before holding his hand out to me. Ignoring his offer of help, I hoisted myself into the leather seat, buckled up, and settled in for the hour and a half drive to Sutton Ranch.
“So, do you have a name?” I asked as we drove away from the airport.
“Sorry.” He chuckled. “I guess I forgot that. I’m Ryke Davis, one of the onsite ranch hands.”
“How many hands live onsite now?” I asked, watching out the window as the mountains grew nearer.
“Right now, it’s just my brother and me in the hand house and Si in the main house. Oh, and of course Caroline.”
I couldn’t help but focus on the fact that Silas was living in the main house. I don’t know why I thought he would be living anywhere else. The reality of having to face him was rapidly approaching, and there didn’t seem to be any way to slow it down.
“How is Caroline?” I asked instead, trying to shake my nerves and get my mind onto something other than Silas Anderson.
“She’s good. Spends all her time mothering us boys, and taking care of the house and what not.” His voice softened as he spoke of Caroline, and it made me happy the hands seemed to be appreciative of her. I sighed and leaned my head against the cold glass, watching the city disappear and the countryside emerge. “You hungry, Mira?” Ryke glanced over at me. “We can swing through a drive-thru if you are.”
“No, thank you. I just want to get home.” The words fell from my lips without a second thought. Home. Had I ever stopped thinking of this place as home?
The infinite landscape out the window left an uneasy pang in my stomach. The contrast of browns and greens floated by in a blur. The mountains in the short distance looked so immense. How had I not come back before now?
Baltimore had been a real change fr
om where I’d grown up on the ranch nestled in the Wet Mountain Valley, on the edge of a small town in Colorado. The city was so much bigger, but I’d adapted quickly. I hadn’t really given myself a choice. I wasn’t about to go home with my tail between my legs, that was for damn sure. Stubborn pride chained me to a place that I didn’t want to be.
The University of Maryland had served me well in obtaining my Occupational Therapist degree, but also provided an escape so I could find myself. When you grew up in a place where your last name and family were your only identity, you got stuck. At least that was true for me. I was never going to be anything but Dalton Sutton’s little sister—where it mattered, anyway.
Exhaustion finally caught up with me during the ride, and I didn’t remember a thing until Ryke softly tapped my shoulder to let me know we were a few miles from the ranch. Sitting up and stretching the kinks out of my neck, I took in my surroundings as we drove through town, passing the old school Dalton, Silas, and I had attended. The diner was still there, local cars filling the parking lot. Kids rode bikes and gathered outside the small convenience store, heads bent over their various electronic devices. Very little had changed, and I wondered if I had changed as much as I’d thought.
We turned onto the county road that would take us to Sutton Ranch. My stomach churned from both nerves and sadness. A few weeks earlier, Dalton came to Baltimore for my graduation ceremony. He had taken me to dinner, and we’d laughed and talked the night away. He’d all but begged me to find a job in Colorado, but I’d told him I wanted to stay in Maryland. I didn’t really, but I couldn’t figure out a way to put my pride aside. I guess Dalton got me home, after all.
Without warning, grief overcame me like a thunderous cloud opening up as tears began to fall. I hadn’t allowed myself to think about too much since the phone call about my brother, and the closer we got to the ranch, the more real everything became. If I allowed myself to admit it, the ranch was the only home I had ever really known.
But would it still be home without Dalton?
My brother had given me everything. We’d lost our mom when I was only five-years-old, and Dalton was nine. Our father hired Caroline to help with the cooking and everyday house duties. It worked because her husband was one of the hands. When her husband passed away after a heart attack several years later, she’d decided to stay on with us. She was the only mother I knew.
When I was sixteen, our father died suddenly. They’d told us it was a ruptured aneurism and that he was most likely dead before he hit the ground. Through the overwhelming uncertainty, one thing I always undeniably knew—my brother loved me and would do anything for me. He proved that more times in my life than I could count, but the one time it really mattered, he’d shown me in spades. Dalton became my guardian immediately and did his best to keep some normalcy in my life. When I moved to Baltimore, he made sure my college tuition was paid, as well as my living expenses. He gave me everything, and yet, I was too stubborn and selfish to come home.
“I’m so sorry, Mira.” Ryke’s gaze darted to me as we reached the edge of the Sutton property. He reached out, but at the last second, changed his mind and dropped his hand to the steering wheel.
“What happened, Ryke? I don’t even know how he di–.” My words broke off in a jagged sob.
“I think you should talk to Si. He was with him.” Ryke spoke calm and soft, almost like he was talking to a scared animal, which wasn’t far from the truth. I was scared and ready to run, but this time, I didn’t have anywhere to go but home.
Ryke shoved a worn bandana into my hand, and I brought it to my nose. He seemed unbothered by my loud, unladylike blowing. As the truck turned down the drive to the main part of the property, I flipped the mirror down and did my best to fix my makeup.
The panoramic view of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in the backdrop was so picturesque, it almost looked like a painting. While I was away, it had slipped my mind how beautiful the mountains were with the different colors and textures.
The familiar memories brought a new wave of pain as we drove up the drive, cutting my insides like shards of glass. This place was once a refuge that kept me warm even on the coldest of days. The beauty of it should’ve filled me with joy, but instead, filled me with a sadness I wasn’t sure I would ever shake.
Gravel crunched under the tires as the truck came to a stop. Rusty, Dalton’s collie, came running, his tail wagging like crazy, causing his entire backside to wiggle. I couldn’t help but smile at how he happily danced around, almost as if he knew I was there. Rusty had to be around six-years-old now, and it was unlikely he knew me anymore, but it felt good to think that.
A tall man in jeans and boots sauntered toward the truck. He was breathtakingly stunning. Dark blond hair curled from under his hat, landing softly on flawless skin. His eyes, so blue and pale they almost resembled a laser beam, peered through the windshield.
“Who is that?” I asked.
Ryke chuckled and shook his head. “That’s my twin brother, Nate.”
Squinting my eyes at him, I waited for him to tell me he was joking. Glancing between the two men, I shook my head in disbelief. Ryke guffawed deep and low.
“Obviously, we’re not identical,” he said before opening his door.
It wasn’t like Ryke was unattractive. He was very nice looking, but he was a bit more rugged—manly. His brother was downright beautiful—almost angelic, but even so, I found myself glancing around to find the one man still missing. When I was sure he wasn’t there, I worked up the courage to open the truck door and step out.
“Welcome home, Mirabelle.” Nate approached me with his hand out. “I’m so sorry for the way I told you over the phone.” He focused on the ground, scuffing the gravel with his boot, and then glanced at me and shrugged. “I guess I’m not very good at that sort of thing.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Nate, and it’s not your fault. Silas should’ve been the one to call me, anyway. I’m sorry he put that responsibility on you. And please, call me Mira.”
Nate regarded his brother. Some sort of message passed between them, but I wasn’t going to try to decode it. The clickity-clack of an approaching horse ended their moment.
A chill ran down my back. Without seeing him, I had no doubt who it was. I stood stock still, as if maybe he would ride right by if I didn’t move.
No such luck. Four years of running had just come to an end.
“Hello, Mirabelle.”
S I L A S
Snickers’ muscles rippled beneath me as he ran. The way the wind blew over my face as we glided over the land was something extraordinary. Closing my eyes, I savored the feeling of flying, the warmth of the sun, and the pounding of hooves. These simple pleasures gave me some sort of solace. Riding Dalton’s horse was bittersweet, but the poor thing had been stuck in the paddock for two days. A horse accustomed to working on the ranch every day needed someone to take him out. It had to be me. It was only right.
Snickers, Dalton’s seven-year-old Appaloosa, was the last horse their father had delivered before he’d died. Mirabelle was given naming rights, and from what Dalton had told me, Snickers was her favorite candy bar. The name was not very fitting for a horse that had substance like he did, but Dalton loved it.
It had been so long since I’d known anything but Sutton Ranch. When I was five-years-old, my parents had died in a car accident. My great aunt and uncle, friends with Dalton’s grandparents and parents, were the ones to raise me. That was how we had become such great friends, and how I came to work on Sutton Ranch when I was a teen. My aunt and uncle were gone before Dalton and Mirabelle’s dad passed away. When that happened, I’d moved out to the ranch permanently to help, and lived in the hand house where Nate and Ryke currently lived. After Mirabelle left, Dalton had asked me to move into the main house. He’d said it was so he could hire some full-time hands and have the hand house open, but I think the main house was too quiet for him.
As we neared the main compound of the ranch, a
cloud of dust and the crunch of gravel caught my attention.
She’s finally here.
I transitioned Snickers to a trot to cool him off, as well as to buy me a little time before I reached the small group of people gathered by the truck. Though I’d seen recent pictures from Mirabelle’s graduation, it was no substitute to her standing in front of me. My head buzzed with possibilities as a hum of excitement or nervousness, I couldn’t distinguish, tore through me. Either way, the next few minutes would be very telling of our immediate future. Even through it all, I couldn’t shake the anger and frustration. Why had it taken Dalton’s death to bring her home?
When Snickers and I stopped behind her, her body froze in an unyielding, rigid pose. Her stubbornness made me grin, because it gave me time to enjoy the view before she lit into me. As she stood unnaturally still and awkward as hell, I burned it to memory.
Her long brown hair was straight as straw, and part of me was a little sad not to see the wild curls she’d always had. The skin-tight designer jeans wouldn’t hold up to a ride on a horse for long. Strappy shoes showed her cotton-candy pink toenails. They had a freaking bow on them, for crying out loud. Where did she think she was going? Sure as hell, she didn’t look like someone who knew her way around a ranch.
“Hello, Mirabelle,” I said, and then waited to see what would happen next.
When she finally turned around, she gave me a once over and then glared at me. “Couldn’t wait to trade up to a better horse, huh?”
So, this was how we were going to play it?
I swung my leg over the saddle and dismounted, squaring my shoulders and gearing up for the inevitable fight. Without being asked, Ryke grabbed Snickers’ reins and his brother’s arm, and led both away, leaving me to face Mirabelle alone. I was ready. She’d run like a spoiled brat years before, and her first words to me were snide? Fuck that.
“Listen to me, little girl. If you think for a minute you can waltz right back here and put your spoiled-princess tiara back on, you’re mistaken. First, I’ll have you know I have a fine horse that needs no upgrading. Second, if you’d get past yourself, you’d realize that horse back there lost his owner.” I jabbed my thumb over my shoulder. The anger in her hard staring eyes simmered, matching what churned in my gut. “He’s used to being out with Dalton every day, and hasn’t been out of the paddock since the accident. Someone needed to ride him, and you weren’t going to get it done in your sequined jeans and fancy-ass shoes.” My breath came in short spurts. Why did I always let her get me so riled up?