Their Rancher Protector

by Sasha Summers

  “I wish we could, Brynn, honey.” Skylar smiled. “But I bet he’s watching over you right now.”

  Brynn looked up at the ceiling, turning a doubtful gaze their way.

  Kyle had to chuckle then.

  The knock on the door was unexpected. All at once, Jet barked, Greer squealed, and Brynn jumped up—jostling Mya in her seat and triggering tears.

  The door opened to his mother.

  “I am so sorry.” His mother immediately crouched between Mya and Brynn. “I’m sorry,” she repeated, adding the sign for I’m sorry, too.

  Mya wiped the tears away with the back of her hand and said, “’Kay.” She smiled at his mother, scooched over in her chair so Brynn could climb up beside her, and the two of them went back to studying her book.

  “Good job, Mom.” He grinned. “With the signing. I’m impressed.”

  “Well, I can’t bear for Mya to feel left out.” His mother brushed aside his praise. “I’m not too old to learn something new.”

  Skylar smiled. “You’re very thoughtful, Jan.”

  “Not at all.” His mother wasn’t one for flattery.

  “And for stocking the kitchen, too. We had pancakes for breakfast,” Skylar added.

  “I was wondering if you’d eaten.” His mother took in the clean kitchen in wonder.

  “Brynn and I washed up,” he said.

  “Well now. I guess you did most of the work, eh, Brynn?” His mother winked at the little girl.

  Skylar laughed along with his mother. He wasn’t sure why they both thought her joke was so hysterical, but he let it go. Laughter was a good thing and something Skylar and her girls had too little of.

  “I wanted to see if you’d like to go into town with me?” his mother asked. “We can go to the grocery store and, if you’d like, there’s a lovely little resale shop downtown that might have a few things the girls might enjoy?”

  Kyle watched the indecision on Skylar’s face. “If it’s easier, you can leave the girls with me.” He meant it. “I know they’ve been cooped up in the car a lot the last few days.”

  Skylar stared at him as if he’d grown another head. “No, no, I couldn’t ask you to do that, Kyle.”

  He sighed. “You didn’t—”

  “I appreciate it but...” Skylar shook her head. “It’s me. I don’t feel settled enough to leave them. I know that might not make any sense—”

  “It does,” he cut her off. Of course, it did. “Well, then, you need an extra set of hands? I’m in need of a few things myself—one of them is a razor.” He ran his fingers over the stubble lining his jaw.

  “You’re welcome to come,” his mother said. “We’ll take the big van. Hayden was going to the feed store and the lumber yard and he was dropping Lizzie and Weston off at the King Frosty in town. I thought we could have lunch out?” She paused, lowering her voice. “They just added an indoor play place.”

  Kyle’s enthusiasm for their trip into town was fading by the minute. “Oh, gosh, how delightful.”

  Skylar’s laugh was pure and free. And the fact that she kept laughing until she’d wiped an actual tear from her cheek filled him with all sorts of pride.

  He’d done that. He’d made this beautiful, composed, independent woman laugh until she cried. He had the feeling today was going to be a good day. How bad could an indoor play place be?

  Chapter Nine

  Skylar enjoyed every minute of the ride from Mitchell Ranch to Granite Falls. To her, it felt like Mother Nature had put on her fanciest clothes to make a good impression. From the crystal blue sky with popcorn clouds to the fields and roadsides dotted with red and blue and yellow... And green. Green everywhere.

  “You were right,” she said to Kyle.

  He kept his eyes on the road but answered, “I usually am. About what?”

  She laughed. “The green.”

  “So bright it almost hurts your eyes.” He nodded, glancing her way. “I was worried I’d misrepresented things and you might be disappointed.”

  “Disappointed?” She stared out the window, watching as Kyle steered the large crew cab ranch truck across the wide four-lane bridge elevated high over a surprisingly wide river. “What river are we driving over?”

  “The Colorado River. Granite Falls Lake is a reservoir of the river. The dam, Gresham Dam, was built by the Corps of Engineers—one of the work projects following the Great Depression. Of course, it was overhauled in the 1950s.”

  “Of course,” Skylar teased, shaking her head.

  “Are you teasing me? Most folk would love their own personal tour guide to give them the who’s who and what’s what for these parts.” Kyle paused. “Come to think of it, I’m probably a little rusty on most of it.”

  “Well, if you are, I wouldn’t know. You sound like an expert.”

  “That’s me.” He chuckled. “Glad my mother decided to take her truck. That way if we decide to go down to the shoreline to feed the ducks we can. If you think they’d like it?” Kyle asked, coming to a stop at a red light midway across the bridge.

  “I’m sure they would.” So would she.

  “If you and the girls would like, we could take out a little fishing boat? Not today—but next time we head into town.” He waited for her to nod before adding, “Might even bring my fishing pole. Catch and release, of course. Wouldn’t want to upset the girls.”

  Every single time Kyle said something like that—something thoughtful and sweet and selfless—Skylar’s heart took flight. It wasn’t intentional. If she could choose not to react to him, she would. But she was beginning to accept that reacting to him was as instinctual as breathing...

  “Ducks today. Fish next time.” He glanced in the rearview mirror and smiled.

  That smile. She drew in a deep breath. “Let’s see how tired we all are when we’re done with that list.” It wasn’t exactly a no, but it wasn’t a yes either. One thing was certain: spending more time with Kyle would only...encourage these feelings for Kyle. Considering the effect his smile had on her, she should be going out of her way to spend less time with Kyle Mitchell.

  “Sounds fair enough.” He made a face in the rearview mirror, earning giggles from the backseat.

  “Momma, Momma,” Brynn announced. “High up.”

  Skylar turned, patting her daughter’s knee. “We are. Isn’t it pretty? Look at all the water.”

  Brynn wasn’t so sure she liked what she saw.

  Mya, whose seat was buckled in behind Kyle’s, was staring out her window wide-eyed and smiling.

  “Fish?” Mya asked, peering at Skylar.

  Skylar nodded.

  “Big fish,” Kyle said.

  “Big,” Skylar repeated, holding out her hands for scale.

  “Big.” Mya nodded and went back to looking out the window.

  Skylar smiled. “There are times I’ve almost forgotten what her voice sounds like.” She swallowed down the lump so thick and hard it hurt. “She’s careful now, about who she talks in front of.” She risked a look Kyle’s way.

  He was smiling from ear to ear. “I get the feeling I’ve been accepted. Brynn makes sure to feed me and helps me clean up. Mya talks and laughs at me. You...cry on me.”

  “And Greer adores you.” The words were out before she’d considered them.

  “I knew it.” He winked at her.

  The bridge road turned into Main Street. According to Kyle’s ongoing narration, Granite Falls was a Main Street city, the central road cutting right through downtown and becoming an interstate highway ten miles on the other side of Granite Falls city limits.

  It wasn’t just the region that was beautiful, the town was, too. Kyle said it was one of the fastest-growing regions in the Texas Hill Country and Skylar could see why. Main Street was lined with picture-window storefronts, quaint hand-painted signs, black wrought iron streetla
mps, and cobblestone sidewalks.

  “It’s...it’s like a Norman Rockwell painting.” Skylar smiled, laughing when a perfectly restored 1950s’ Chevrolet passed them by.

  “One thing about Granite Falls, it’s constant.” Kyle’s attention strayed to the sidewalks. “There was a time that consistency was boring and I couldn’t wait to get out of here. But now, well, there’s a comfort in finding a place—for all intents and purposes—unchanged.”

  Skylar nodded. “It’s good to have a home base.”

  Kyle looked at her then, almost apologetic.

  “What?” she asked.

  “That was careless.” He shook his head. “Here I’ve been going on about running away from a home I should be thankful for and...”

  Skylar understood then. “We don’t have a home base?” She sighed, staring out at the town. “Maybe we do.”

  “Momma,” Brynn called out. “Where we going?”

  “We’re going shopping.” She smiled into the backseat.

  “For food?” Brynn asked, bouncing her legs.

  “And some other things, too.” Until they spoke to a doctor about Mya and the cost of the surgery and follow-up care, Skylar wanted to be as frugal as possible. “When we’re all done, we’re going to have lunch with Jan and Lizzie and Weston, too.”

  “Weston is a baby,” Brynn said. “Not like Greer.”

  “He is older than Greer. But he’s also younger than you are,” Skylar agreed. “You know what?”

  Brynn shook her head.

  “He thinks you and Mya are super cool big girls.” Skylar watched her daughter process this information.

  Brynn nodded. “He’s right.”

  Skylar heard Kyle’s chuckle and smiled his way.

  “Can’t color though.” Brynn sighed.

  Skylar glanced at Kyle. “She can’t let go of the coloring thing,” she whispered.

  “He did do a number on that page.” Kyle’s gaze shifted to the rearview mirror again. “I appreciate that she takes pride in her work.”

  They’d just parked the truck and were unloading the girls when a woman came barreling across the street, laughing and clapping her hands.

  “As I live and breathe,” the woman said, gleeful. “If it’s not Kyle Mitchell, in the flesh.” She launched herself, her slim arms twining around Kyle’s neck, and her red lips locking with his.

  Skylar wasn’t sure how to react or what to do except stand there, holding on to her girls’ hands and wishing she was anywhere else instead of here, witnessing this. Kyle hugging the woman—hard—as he spun her around. And kissed her back, full on the lips.

  “I’d heard you were home, of course.” Her arms remained around his neck. “Your momma and my brother and Eileen Doherty. No such thing as secrets in Granite Falls.”

  “I remember,” Kyle agreed. “Something else that hasn’t changed, I guess.”

  “Nothing ever changes in Granite Falls—you know that.” The woman pressed her hand against his cheek. “It is so good to see you.”

  His smile faded a little, his gaze falling from hers.

  “Well...” She released him and stepped back, turning her gaze on to Skylar and her wide-eyed girls. “You must be Chad’s widow? And his girls?” She paused. “I thought there were three.”

  How did this woman know who she was? Or who Chad was? Or how many children she had? Who was she? “Greer is still in her car seat.” Skylar spoke. “Girls. Hold hands and wait right here.” She waited for Brynn to nod before she grabbed the front pack out of the backseat and clipped it on before unbuckling Greer and securing her into the carrier.

  “Isn’t she just the cutest?” the woman said, stooping forward to smile at Greer.

  Greer wiggled and kicked.

  “So happy.” The woman laughed. “When I heard what you’d all been through, I was astounded. I’m so glad Kyle brought you home with him. Since he and Chad were like brothers, that makes you his sister.” The woman shot Kyle a look. “He’s never had a sister—before now.”

  All I’d been through? Skylar tried to ignore the cold knot tightening in the pit of her stomach. Kyle had told someone about Flat Brush and Uncle Frank and Chad; there was no other way for anyone to know any of this. He’d told someone and that person had told someone and now this woman knew? He’d said everyone knew everything about everyone in Granite Falls but she hadn’t thought she’d be lumped into that. Now... Well, she couldn’t shake the sense of betrayal coiled in her chest.

  Kyle’s quick and awkward back and forth look between her and the mystery woman didn’t help Skylar’s growing confusion and agitation. The mystery woman who had perfect hair—not a lopsided ponytail. She wore tan ankle pants and a cute red-and-white-polka-dot ruffle top that hugged curves Skylar would never possess. Unlike Skylar, this woman didn’t have a hole under one armpit—or the faintest lingering stains of strained peas on the hem of her well-worn T-shirt.

  “I’m sorry.” The woman seemed to pick up on the awkwardness. “Where are my manners? I’m Cassandra Lafferty. But everyone calls me Cassie. You’re going to be working with my brother, Buzz, aren’t you? At the vet clinic.”

  “Oh, well, I don’t—”

  “You’ll love him,” Cassie gushed. “Everyone loves Buzz. He’s a barrel of laughs. Kyle couldn’t have rescued you at a better time either. Buzz needs all the help he can get at the clinic. I only work there a couple of hours a week, next door at the grooming parlor.” She hooked arms with Kyle. “Kyle and I have been sweethearts since, oh goodness, we were knee-high to a grasshopper? Isn’t that the saying?”

  Kyle’s discomfort continued to grow—a telltale red creeping into his cheeks.

  “How sweet,” Skylar muttered, pleased that she managed to keep the emotional whirlwind taking place on the inside invisible to the outside. She’d get through this. It’d be okay. In the span of three minutes, Skylar had been excited about her job and the move and...everything. But that was before she found out she’d be working with Kyle’s sweetheart and Kyle’s sweetheart’s brother and, most important, that Kyle Mitchell had a sweetheart.

  * * *

  As far back as Kyle could remember, Cassie had been the equivalent of a human bulldozer. An upbeat, funny, and sweet-natured bulldozer—but a bulldozer all the same. If he was going to get a word in edgewise, he was going to have to be assertive.

  “Cassie, this is Skylar.” He turned, wishing Skylar wasn’t so good at masking her thoughts. “Skylar, this is my friend Cassie.” He knew Cassie was teasing. Yes, they had been sweethearts when they were kids but that was ancient history. They’d remained friends for years—partly because he and Buzz were good friends and partly because Cassie wouldn’t have it any other way.

  “Who dat?” Mya asked, a small frown on her face.

  “A friend of Kyle’s.” Skylar pointed at Cassie, then Kyle, and signed “friend.”

  Mya nodded, but she still wasn’t smiling.

  “Cassie and I have been friends since we were kids,” Kyle said, needing to set the record straight.

  “More than that,” Cassie cut in and smiled up at him. “We were married once, too.”

  Skylar made an odd sound then, shifting from foot to foot and looking at anything but him. “Well...” She offered a slight smile to Cassie. “I’m sure you have lots to catch up on. I’m going to take the girls inside.” Skylar led the girls across the sidewalk and inside the Good As New thrift shop his mother thought might have a few things for the girls.

  “She’s lovely,” Cassie said once Skylar and the girls were inside the shop. “A little quiet.”

  He nodded. “Not everyone is as chatty as you are, Cassie. Didn’t anyone ever tell you that?”

  She laughed. “Maybe. Once or twice.” She paused, glancing at the shop door. “The little girl can’t hear?”

  “Lost her hearing when she c
aught meningitis last year.” Kyle shook his head. He needed to remember that everything he said would likely be repeated. Cassie had just proven that. Skylar wouldn’t appreciate other folk knowing or getting involved in her business. It sounded like his mother and Eileen, the foreman’s wife, were already sharing more than they should. He’d seen the way Skylar’s mouth tightened and understood her anger. This wasn’t gossip. This was her life.

  “Mrs. Doherty said they were living in poor conditions and you basically rescued them—without a second thought.”

  Kyle sighed. “That sounds like her.” Bobby Doherty was the ranch foreman and a good man. His wife was a character. She was kind and thoughtful but she was also somewhat of a gossip. And since Bobby and his wife, Eileen, shared pretty much everything with each other, it was a near guarantee that anything Bobby knew, Eileen did, too—and went on to share with her bunko friends on Thursday evenings. “All I did was give Skylar an option that wasn’t available to her before.”

  Cassie smoothed a hand over her chestnut-brown hair. “You always had a way with words, Kyle Mitchell.”

  “How’s Mike?” he asked. At least that’s what he thought was the name of Cassie’s last boyfriend.

  “Mike? Mike Smith? Or Jones? Or whatever his name was?” She laughed, but it wasn’t a real laugh. “Well, last I heard, he’ll be serving a minimum of ten years for a pharmaceutical scam the government didn’t like too much.”

  “Sounds like there’s a story there?” He shook his head. “I’m guessing the engagement is off?” he asked, managing to get the words out before he was laughing.

  “Ha, ha, very funny.” She sighed. “Laugh all you want. Even if Mike hadn’t turned out to be a criminal, it wouldn’t have worked.” She shrugged. “That was strike two for me. Next guy that comes into my life better be the one or I’m out of luck.” She winked up at him.

  He shook his head. Cassie was an unabashed flirt and a tease—but she was a good friend.

  “I might have said this already but...I’m glad you’re home.” She tilted her head. “You should come to dinner. We have a lot to catch up on. Buzz, too, of course.”