Once a Heartbreaker

by T. J. Kline

“What's the matter, Rayne? Can't stand getting wet?”

  He rolled over, hovering above her as the water soaked through the back of her shirt. But she no longer felt the cold as her body cradled his and longing flowed through her veins like lava, melting everything in its wake. His mouth was only inches from hers as he gazed down into her eyes, and she could easily read the yearning in the dark depths of his gaze. Or maybe it was simply a reflection of her own desire.

  “Are you okay?” His breath caressed her face, minty and all-male. She couldn't answer so she simply nodded. The mare nickered quietly at the trailer, reminding her why they were even in this position. Ty glanced back at the animal and chuckled, brushing a strand of Rayne’s hair behind her ear. “So, you think I should take a chance on her?”

  Rayne got the distinct feeling they weren't talking about the horse. “I guess that depends on what you’re willing to risk.”

  “She seems gun shy. You think I could convince her to trust me, that I'm not going to hurt her?”

  Hope flared bright and hot in her chest. He was definitely not talking about the horse. But as much as she wanted to believe in him, she couldn't forget why they were fighting to find even a little civil ground now. He’d turned his back on her, and lied to her. It didn’t really matter if he’d loved her then or loved her now, Rayne couldn't trust anything that he said. And she wasn't about to risk her heart, yet again, on someone she couldn't trust. Her racing heart and humming nerve endings be damned.

  Rayne pressed her hands against Ty's chest, pushing him away from her before standing. “You do whatever you want with the horse. Just leave me out of it.”

  Steeling herself against the loneliness that filled her chest, Rayne turned her back on Ty and his horse and headed back to her office, locking the front and back doors this time.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Ty shifted in the uncomfortable hospital chair, watching his mentor for the third day in a row.

  “Still no change?” John’s nurse, Rebecca, monitored his vitals and jotted down several notes on the white board on the door of the closet that had yet to be used. Ty shook his head. “Well, don't give up hope. Just because he isn't responding doesn't mean he isn't listening.”

  She patted Ty's arm empathetically on her way out the door. He could only hope that John wasn't really listening because, if he was, he'd be disappointed in the decisions Ty had made so far. He hadn't even been back to town a week and he'd already managed to alienate the one person he’d returned to make amends to. He could almost hear John scolding him, with that gravelly voice and gruff temperament.

  What the hell are you waiting for, boy? Get yer ass up and go apologize again. Life's too short to be pussy-footing around. You shouldn't have lied in the first place. There's a reason for my damn rules and when ya break one, ya gotta pay the damn consequences.

  Ty chuckled quietly to himself. He might not have spoken to John in over eight years, but he could still hear the man's voice in his head just as clearly as if he’d actually spoken. He shot a glance at the bed, just to make sure he hadn’t. The machines continued to beep quietly in the stillness of the room.

  “You're sort of a nag, you know that, old man?” he asked, not even bothering to hide the fondness for the man who'd been the only real father in his life. “But you're not wrong. I should have listened to you all along. Now, somehow, I've got to make her listen.”

  Ty wasn't one to give up his second chance without a fight. However, it was difficult to fight a ghost. So far, Rayne was ignoring his texts, avoiding his calls, and now her receptionist suggested he call the vet in the next town over if he wanted assistance because Dr. McCoy was busy. He was just about out of ideas and frustrated as hell, which was probably her intention. Stubborn woman.

  Ty swiped the brush over Boogie's back as he finished grooming the gelding. After medicating the wound, he turned him back into his stall and dropped a flake of hay into the feeder. The mare in the next stall whinnied loudly, demanding her dinner. He glanced over at the copper horse he'd ended up purchasing, thinking about the way Rayne had admired her.

  It had started as a ploy to get her attention. Looking back, he realized it might have been a bad idea, but he couldn't regret anything that ended up with Rayne in his arms. And, after that kiss, he had no doubt that she still harbored feelings for him. He'd seen the desire in her eyes, felt her respond to him with the yearning that time had never extinguished for him either. She might not want to admit it, but she cared, maybe even as deeply as he cared for her.

  Ty loved her, plain and simple. He always had and always would. No woman in his life had ever come close to measuring up to Rayne.

  He leaned against the wall of the barn, staring as the mare. “I just have to convince her of that. If I could find her.” The mare turned her soft, brown gaze on him and blew her nose. “Thanks for the help.”

  Ty wondered where else Rayne might be since, according to her receptionist, she wasn't at her clinic or on appointments.

  If there was one thing Rayne craved, especially when she was upset, it was the familiar. She sought out people and places that were comfortable, reliable, unchanging. She liked her life predictable, probably due to the years of her life being upended from her father's drinking and drug use. He realized that he should have known, without a doubt, where he would find her.

  Ty dropped the last flake of hay into the feeder and headed for his truck. His keys jingling as he tossed them into the air, catching them effortlessly. He wasn't exactly a guy to act chipper, but even he couldn't deny that there was an extra skip in his step at the thought of surprising Rayne.

  Rayne cut the sandwiches and laid them on the large platter. The boys were all due in from the field in just a few minutes and Maria, John’s cook, already had her hands full since one of her crew had called in sick. Laying the first platter onto the table, she stirred the powdered lemonade mix in the pitcher Maria slid her way. She wasn't about to let the woman try to run the ranch alone, not if she could make time to help. Even John hadn’t been able to pull it off single-handedly and, now, with him in the hospital, it wasn't something the sixty-year-old woman should have to attempt alone.

  “I thought I’d find you here.”

  Her breath caught in her chest. She didn't need to turn around to recognize the voice. Rayne inhaled slowly, deeply, trying to control the irritation making her pulse flutter rapidly at the reality of Ty being on the ranch again before letting it out slowly.

  Sure, it's irritation making your heart feel like it's about to beat out of your chest.

  That's my story and I'm sticking to it, Rayne argued with her doubtful, sarcastic inner voice.

  She turned to face him, willing her heart rate to slow down but quickly losing the battle when his gaze met hers. Damn, he was a fine looking man. All rugged jaw, steely-eyed, lean cowboy. It didn't take much for her imagination to run headlong into the memories of nights making love under the stars. The way her hands had run over his chest as he rose above her. The way it had felt when he—

  Stop!

  “Why are you here, Ty?”

  Rayne couldn’t let her fantasies take her down the same heartbreak lane she'd traveled with Ty once before. She was a grown woman now with no time for delusions of convincing a cowboy to settle down. He was a rambler, a heartbreaker, and a liar. She'd found out the hard way.

  But, oh, when he looked at her those dark eyes that could melt every reservation like snow from the Sierras in springtime sun, she found herself taking a step toward him. He reached for the pitcher in her hands, his fingers brushing over hers, and she practically dropped it in an effort to keep from touching him. A cocky grin tipped one side of his mouth and that dimple curved into the hollow. Rayne bit her bottom lip as she remembered how often she'd pressed a kiss to that very spot on his cheek, trying not to admit how much she wanted to do the same now.

  “I thought I'd come by and see how much the ranch has changed.” His gaze caressed her, leisurely and hot, the w
ay his love-making had been. Heat immediately rose into her cheeks as she blushed furiously at the wayward direction of her thoughts. Ty grinned, as if he could guess what she'd been thinking. “But, mostly, I was looking for you.”

  “Ah.” Maria playfully bumped a plump hip against Rayne’s side, moving past her to lay a second platter of sandwiches on the table. “I wish a good-looking cowboy would come searching for me.” She tucked a strand of her graying blond bob behind her ear and smiled brightly at Ty. “I'm Maria. I'm guessing the two of you know one another?”

  “Ty lived here for about four years, until he became a big-time rodeo star.” Rayne didn't bother to hide the bitterness from her tone. It wasn't that she begrudged him the success he'd found; it was the way he'd gone about achieving it that still stung.

  Maria nodded. “Well, then, I expect you'll want to stay for dinner.”

  “No,” Rayne answered for him.

  “Sure,” he answered at the same time.

  Maria eyed Ty’s worn and dusty cowboy hat. “Even if you do need a refresher on the manners I know John must have taught you.”

  Rayne didn't miss Maria's scolding tone and pressed her lips together, pinching back a victorious smirk as Ty tugged the beaten felt hat from his head, curling his fingers around the brim. He muttered an apology, shifting his eyes toward the ground, but the guilty grin didn’t leave his lips.

  “I'll tell you what,” Maria said, placing a hand in the middle of Rayne's back and shoving her toward the door. “Why don’t you show him around the property, and once the boys eat and leave, I'll fix the two of you something better than just sandwiches?”

  Rayne stutter-stepped, not wanting to be alone with Ty again after the last time had ended up with her in his arms. “Don't worry about that, Maria. I need to run by the clinic and close up anyway.” It was a bullshit excuse since she’d already promised Maria she’d stay overnight, but the last thing Rayne wanted was a walk down memory lane with Ty.

  Maria frowned. “I thought you said Carly was locking up today.” Rayne clenched her teeth, widening her eyes at Maria and tipping her head to one side, hoping the woman would understand her silent plea. Instead, Maria smiled impishly. “Now, you two just head out and catch up on old times. I'll have dinner cooking and ready for you in about an hour.”

  Rayne didn't miss the conspiratorial grin Maria shot at Ty, nor did she miss his nod of acknowledgment in return just before he turned and held open the back door for her. She ducked under his arm, steeling herself against the country boy charm that seemed to woo everyone to his side. Thinking about the last time they were together, she realized she wasn't any more immune than anyone else.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Ty kept his distance as Rayne showed him the improvements John had made to the ranch, sounding more like a real estate agent than an old friend as she pointed out the new bunkhouse. He was a bit surprised at how nice the place had become, and felt a tug of nostalgia for the smaller, more rustic bunkhouse he'd lived in with the other guys. He watched a group of boys unsaddle their horses and head to the back porch for their meal, the same way John had served it when he lived here.

  “Some things never change,” he said with a sigh, feeling completely at home where he stood.

  “And others do.”

  He glanced at Rayne, leaning her arm against the railing lining the bunkhouse steps, eyeing him suspiciously. “What's that supposed to mean?”

  “It means I'm not buying this 'returning hero' crap you're feeding everyone else around here. This isn't a friendly visit because we're not friends, Ty. So, I'll ask you one last time, why are you really here?”

  He'd already told her why he’d left, as well as why he’d returned, but she obviously didn’t believe him, and he couldn't blame her. The fact was, he needed to earn back her faith in him.

  She crossed her arms and he wondered if she realized how it lifted her breasts, making desire trickle past his gut and settle in lower regions. Ty felt his body respond, growing hard, and prayed she wouldn’t notice. He wondered what she'd do if she did. Probably slap him and walk away. It couldn't possibly hurt any less than her hatred now.

  Ty climbed the first step, blocking her from walking away. “Rayne, I know you don’t trust me, but I mean it when I say I'm sorry for the way I ended things with us. I was young and stupid and thought I was doing the right thing. I lied, and I hurt you. I can't change that or make up for it.”

  He shook his head, wondering if he had it to do again, whether he would have actually done anything differently. “I don't know what else to say but I'm sorry.” He laid one hand on the railing, waiting to see if she retreated, fully expecting her to do exactly that.

  “You're sorry?” Her gaze met his, and he could see blue fire flashing in the depths. “Sorry? Do you have any idea what you did to me that night? How stupid and used I felt?”

  “That was never my intention. I just...”

  “You what? Got what you wanted and moved on to greener pastures? Prettier buckle bunnies?”

  He suddenly understood how deeply he'd hurt her, in a way he never should have. His lie had added fuel to her greatest fear—that she wasn't good enough to be loved. Her mother hadn't loved her enough to stick around, her father hadn't loved her enough to stay clean, and Ty hadn't loved her enough to stay. Even her husband, fool that he was, had stayed with her.

  “It was never about someone else.” Ty stood on the step below her, so their faces were level with one another. He reached one arm around her waist and cupped her cheek in his other palm. “It was always about you, Rayne. About me stepping aside and letting you become the woman you were meant to be.”

  Shock colored her eyes, but he didn't give her a chance to speak or over-think his confession. He tangled his fingers in her hair and drew her close for a kiss. His lips brushed over hers and he felt her gasp, stealing his breath, but he wasn't about to waste the opportunity. His tongue slid between her parted lips, testing, teasing her until he felt her surrender to the longing that still raced between them, like a live current, out of control. Her hands moved over the front of his shirt, her fingers clenching the material as she pulled him closer still. Ty let his hand fall from her hair to caress her back, his other arm winding tighter around her waist. Desire broke over him in waves, threatening to drown him.

  With agonizing slowness, he withdrew, pressing his forehead against hers. “We should probably head in for dinner.”

  “Dinner. Right.” Rayne closed her eyes, shaking her head slightly, and he hoped she wasn't already regretting their kiss. She edged to one side, away from him, and started down the porch steps. “You realize, that was just Maria playing matchmaker.”

  Ty reached out, grabbing her hand, and tugged her to a halt. “Remind me to thank her when we get back to the main house.”

  “She won't be there. I told her I'd stay here tonight so she could go visit John. She's been so busy trying to keep the ranch running smoothly, she's only been able to get to the hospital once.”

  “You're staying here?” A frown pinched his brows. “What about your clinic?”

  “Carly told me she'd stay at my place tonight and keep an eye on the animals. I'll head back if there's an emergency. Otherwise, I'll go home in the morning when Maria gets back.”

  “You can't stay here alone.”

  Rayne laughed, the sound sending a wave of pleasure over him. He'd heard it so many times in the past, but it was the first time he’d heard it since returning. He'd missed it.

  “Who are you to tell me I can't? You don't live here. Not anymore.” She tugged her hand from his grasp.

  Ty hurried after her, reaching for her shoulders and gently turning her to face him. “Rayne, this is a boys' ranch. Some of these kids are here because they couldn't be reached any other way. They could be dangerous.”

  “I know. You were once one of them. So was I.” She brushed her fingers against his cheek. “And look how we turned out.”

  She crossed the path betwee
n the bunkhouse and the barn and headed for the stairs of the main house. “In fact, it probably means I'm more qualified to be here than most people.” She turned back toward him, her fingers wrapping around the slim porch railing. “But this ranch was means everything to John, and I'm going to make sure it stays running, just the way it would if he was here, until I'm told to do differently. So, that means, tonight, I'm staying over so Maria can go visit John.”

  Ty knew that look in her eyes. He'd seen it a thousand times before while they were growing up. That fierce determination to have her way, come hell or high water. Rayne's mind was made up and there was no changing it.

  Rayne stared at the man seated across from her. Ty had flat out refused to leave when she'd gone inside, insisting that Maria had offered him a meal and he was staying until he got it. Rather than argue, knowing Maria would have scolded her if she'd kept the entire enchilada casserole to herself, Rayne heated up the dish and allowed him to stay.

  “Do you want something to drink?” She folded her hands and laid them on the top of the table, wondering what to say to her ex-fiancé after all these years. It wasn't like they could just sit here and have a polite conversation. Could they?

  “Water is fine. Unless you have some of that lemonade left?”

  Rayne rose from the table and reached for a glass in the cupboard. She could feel his eyes boring into her back, following her every movement around the room, making her nervous. As she poured his drink, she splashed the liquid over her hand and before she could reach for the towel on the counter nearby, Ty was already holding it out to her.

  “Relax. I won't bite,” he said as his fingers curled over hers and his eyes sparked with dark mischief, a look she remembered well. “Not unless you want me to.”

  “I remember your bite, Ty, and I'd rather do without.” She was trying hard to still the nervous flutter that had taken residence in her chest where her heart belonged. She could feel his gaze lazily moving over her, but she refused to check if her intuition was correct and instead wiped up the mess she’d made.